The Value of and the Many Uses of Sawdust on The Homestead
When you have a wood shop, you never have a shortage of saw dust. So today I am going to talk about the various uses of sawdust on the homestead.
First lets look at some of the off grid folks who use a compost toilet, system or an outhouse. Sawdust is a great way to mask that nasty smell. Many use peat moss or other materials, but why not contact a local sawmill or fellow wood worker and ask for some garbage bins of sawdust.
Next I will tell you, living in Canada and always having ice on the walkways is always a problem. I don't like to use salt as the animals get it on their feet so I use sawdust. In the spring it just decomposes into the ground like a compost pile. I also use sawdust when the vehicles get stuck, it works great for gaining traction.
Some Off Gridder's use sawdust in their ice shakes where they store their Ice blocks. Traditionally, hay would have been used, but I have seen folks use sawdust to cover their Ice blocks for the summer.
Sawdust is a great product to use for kindling, when starting a fire, especially when you start without coals on the bottom. You may also want to get a cupcake papers, and a candle and melt some wax over a cupcake paper filled with sawdust, this will last hours in a fire to help keep it going when you are very low on blocks or hardwood to burn.
I have used sawdust but only the pine shavings and such to mulch some areas of my garden, or at the base of tree's in the fall, it will break down into compost and it will protect the plants and trees from the snow and freezing temps. You just want to protect the roots.
You may also use sawdust to cover up and absorb oil spills. This will make it easier for clean up, as you just have to sweep it all up.
In a pinch, sawdust can be used to fill the kitty litter box, until you can get out to get some litter. The cats don't really mind, it's just sometimes if the saw dust is fine, it will stick to their feet and they will track it through the house. Ideally if you are going to do this, you should have shavings.
Why not recycle and re-purpose your sawdust. I encourage you woodworkers out their to give it a try.
Photo credits:
https://www.allfreecrafts.com/candles/recycled-candles/wax-fire-starters/
http://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/new_hampshire_homestead
https://www.milkwood.net/2013/07/10/making-a-wood-chip-mushroom-garden/
https://www.duckworksmagazine.com/05/articles/toilet/index.cfm
My personal favorite is to use for cultivating #fungi #mushrooms
like oyster, shiitake, maitake, and lions mane...
For oil spills I would use oyster mushroom as they have been shown to absorb the toxins..
Never really considered this concept. Thanks
I use it in my chicken coop. I'll add it as bedding after I've turned them out to free range for the day so the dust can settle before they get back into it. I'll then take the poop and sawdust and add it to my back to Eden garden - I love it!
I use sawdust at the base of my fruit trees to mulch for the cold winter months
I've never heard of using sawdust instead of salting the walkways - that's a wonderful thing to do.
Ya it works great! Especially for livestock
Great tips. I have used it for oil spills.
Thank you
I have shiploads of really, really fine sawdust. Might be worth trying the walkway thing...
Or you could advertise that you have some or offer it to some farms in your community.
I'm in an urban area. Closest farm is a 30 minute drive
that's awesome. definitely some good uses. we use ours (we get at a local sawmill) in our composting toilet, as mulch around fruit trees with cardboard underneath and as paths.
It pains me to see it go to waste. So glad that you are recycling it.
Interesting, got some good ideas for reading your post. Now I have to find a local woodworker🐓😉
Wow! Sawdust is like duck tape. It has amillion and 1 uses. I suppose its one of those items you are better to have around rather than throw it out. Ive even heard of people adding glue and making art or needed items with it.