Using sawdust and henmuck as a mulch

SnooziSuzi · « **on:** September 28, 2008, 21:16 »

Hi, Have built a new raised bed ( sorry; no pics today :oops: not much to see anyways) and have mulched it with sawdust from last week when I cleaned out the henhouse.

One of the old boys asked what I had mulched with so I told him and he said plainly that "us don't do that; it stunts the growth".

Does anyone know if there's any truth in this or was he just spouting?

PinkTequila · « **Reply #1 on:** September 28, 2008, 21:24 »

sawdust or wood shavings take a whilt to rot down and nick all the nitrogen from the ground when they do. In that sense then yes it may stunt growth. Hen muck is also very strong and will burn plants. Is is better to compost the muck from the hen house before using it as a mulch, even then it will be pretty strong and Iwould rather mix it with the restof the compost.

Straw rots down quicker than sawdust and is generally better. I try and use straw only with the chickens but the people I work with seem to find wood shavings prettier.

SnooziSuzi · « **Reply #2 on:** September 28, 2008, 21:28 »

:?

*.

I thought that there would be something negative about the sawdust, but I thought it would be outweighed by the hen poo :?

Never mind, I'm going to put some rotted horse manure on it and cover it over this week anyways and use it next year for the brassicas

lincspoacher · « **Reply #3 on:** September 29, 2008, 22:28 »

Yes thats your only saviour. The sawdust will then absorb nitrogen from the horse poo, then hopefully rot down and return it.

sumo · « **Reply #4 on:** September 30, 2008, 08:19 »

I use sweepings from cleaning out the hens and guinea pigs but usually compost it first. If I have too much of their old hay etc I spread in on top of fallow plots around the garden. It seems to rot down ok if there`s not much shavings in it though the dogs tend to bury their bones and chews in it and throw it around a bit!

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Using sawdust and henmuck as a mulch

lincspoacher