[DavidT]

But, if the wood chips take the nitrogen then the green material will not compost down, because it needs the nitrogen.

[Trillium]

I made a special heap just for twigs and bark pieces which I layer with some manure. It takes longer to break down, which is why its in its own separate bin, but at the end I got a lot of gorgeous compost. Starting a new bin this year as I get masses of twigs and falling bark from all my maple (acer) trees.

[DavidT]

I agree with you Trillium, mixing the wood with the manure works. Mixing the wood with the SOFT tissue material, doesn`t.

[Bluedave]

ok - so could i throw it on the maunre pile and would it be ok by the autumn or should I throw it in it's own compost bin with some maunre on top? Got loads of bark that could go on as well - was leaving it over the summer to dry out but if theres another use for it....

[Trillium]

I'd never waste something valuable like chippings and twigs, which is why I have the separate pile. I personally wouldn't add it to my manure pile as later I might want manure to add to something and I'd have to either separate all the heavy bits or have them scattered in an area where I don't want them. Its my personal choice, as yours must be.

[Bluedave]

Think i'll just take Kris' advice!

[DavidT]

Dave, BURN IT.lol

[Ivor Backache]

Last year I composted 50 bin bags of sawdust. I now have 2cu m of good quality compost waiting to go in the potato trenches.
Search for the Compost mix calculator on this forum and you will find that one bucket of kitchen waste requires two buckets of sawdust (or seven buckets of newsprint) I use to just put anything on the compost heap until I did research, and now I mix everything to get to C:N ration of 30:1. No more sticky messy heaps but nice crumbly compost.
I also compost stable manure which either has hay or wood chip mixed in it, but I keep that separate.
Google sawdust and compost together and there is a mass of information to be had.

[Kristen]

I have sawdust from chopping up logs for the fire. That goes onto the (permanent) paths between my lazy beds in the veg patch (together with wood-chip from the chipper that ate all the twigs too small for the fire). The paths have weed suppressing sheet (18" wide) between soil and chips.