Sawdust compost: an inexpensive but extremely effective fertilizer for the garden and vegetable garden

Sawdust is a good help in the household and garden. They can fertilize, insulate, disinfect, control moisture levels and balance the amount of fertilizer in the soil. Let's take a look at how this valuable material can be used to increase the yield of garden and vegetable crops.

The composition and useful properties of sawdust

For greenhouses and open ground, sawdust of any tree species, both coniferous and deciduous, is used. They are usually used as a component of a variety of soils and seedling mixtures; as well as loosening additives to soil and soil substrates, they act as mulch.

The content of useful trace elements in one cubic meter of sawdust:

• nitrogen - from 20 to 30 g;
• phosphorus - from 20 to 30 g;
• potassium - from 150 to 200 gr;
• calcium - from 250 to 300 g;
• magnesium - from 50 to 90 gr.

The following factors can be considered as positive characteristics of sawdust: they do not compact by themselves and prevent the compaction of the soil to which they are added; do not form on the surface of the soil after watering a dried hardened layer of soil; soils with introduced sawdust do not require regular loosening; on the sawdust, wild plants do not grow, drowning out garden crops. In addition, fresh sawdust is a sterile environment that does not contain bacteria and plant pathogens.

Of the negative qualities of sawdust, one can note the content in them of a certain amount of resins, which have a detrimental effect on the growth and development of plants. And also fresh, unrepeated sawdust depletes the soil, absorbing nitrogen, which is available and easily digestible for plants. The fact is that fresh organic matter is processed (subject to natural decomposition) by soil microflora, which, during processing, "consumes" all the nitrogen in the soil and in the organic matter itself - sawdust. This often causes a deficiency of nitrogen in the soil and starvation of plants that occurs against this background. Together with nitrogen, this microflora consumes phosphorus, but not completely, but partially.

But these disadvantages apply only to fresh sawdust and are eliminated by composting. Let's talk a little more about compost and how to prepare it.

How to compost sawdust

Sawdust compost must be prepared on a foil or any other moisture-proof base to prevent leakage of nutrients into the soil. During maturation, the compost mass must also be protected from precipitation with cellophane film.

Composting is best done in spring, when the first warm days begin. The composting process takes place when the temperature of the compost mass rises to 40-50 degrees. When the temperature of the compost drops to 23-25 ​​degrees, the fertilizer can be applied to the ground.

Here is one of the simple and working ways to prepare compost, which additionally contains mineral fertilizers. For one cubic meter of raw materials, which are sawdust, it is necessary to add 2.5 kg of urea (if necessary, urea can be replaced with 3.5 kg of ammonium nitrate). The following components are double superphosphate in the amount of 800 grams and potassium sulfate - 1500 grams. Urea / nitrate, superphosphate and potassium sulfate should be added only by first dissolving with water. Each fertilizer must be applied separately, thoroughly mixing the compost mass.

If you add manure to these components after a month of ripening, you get sawdust compost enriched with mineral and organic fertilizers. The proportions of the composition are as follows: 100 kilograms of cow dung is added to 100 kilograms of sawdust compost, with the above-mentioned mineral fertilizers previously added. All this is thoroughly mixed and matured within three to five months from the moment the manure was applied.

You can prepare a mixture of sawdust and dung. For this, chicken manure and sawdust are mixed in equal proportions by weight. The period for preparing sawdust compost is from two to six months. This produces an effective fertilizer that can be applied.

Ways to use sawdust compost in the garden

Sawdust compost should be applied in October or November, while digging the garden. This procedure is carried out after adding lime, if it is, of course, necessary. Rate: 10 liters of compost (one bucket) per 1 square meter of the garden. This rate is determined by the fertility of the soil and the composition of its constituent microelements.

Sawdust compost must be applied to heavy soils, as it enriches the composition, makes the soil structure looser, and creates an optimal temperature environment for plant root systems. In addition, sawdust compost is able to increase the absorbing capacity of soils, that is, it can balance the composition of the soil with excessive application of other fertilizers. In simple words, soak up excess fertilizers so that they do not harm the plants.

And also the components of the compost mass absorb the components of mineral fertilizers and "give out" them to the plants in a metered dose. That is, they prevent the rapid leaching of nutrients from the soil. Compost, like cow dung, nourishes plants and enriches the soil composition for three to five years after application. It is often not recommended to use this tool, as there is a threat of an increase in soil acidity.

How do you use sawdust - in pure form or as compost? Write in the comments!

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