Mulch is a material used to cover soils surface. An agricultural practice such as mulching will help retain moisture in the soil, suppress or block weeds, keep the soil and plant roots cool, prevent frost heaving in winter, and make the garden bed and landscape look more attractive. Some types can also add nutrients to the soil.
Read on to learn about the different types of mulches and helpful information about the best types for your gardens needs.
Sawdust is one of the cheapest ground covering materials. Sawdust is one of the cheapest ground covering materials. Sawdust is made of wood chippings and is mainly composed of cellulose, and various extractives.
Understanding the pros and cons of sawdust for covering beds is important before deciding whether it is the right choice.
Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables to grow in home gardens. Their sweet juicy flavor when picked fresh off the vine simply can’t be beat. But growing healthy tomato plants requires good soil and the right amendments. So is sawdust a good addition when growing tomatoes?
The short answer is yes, sawdust can be used when growing tomatoes but it needs to be used carefully. Sawdust is high in carbon which can tie up nitrogen in the soil that plants need. It also breaks down very slowly so it doesn’t add many nutrients back into the soil quickly. However, as a soil amendment in moderation, sawdust offers some benefits for tomato plants.
Benefits of Using Sawdust for Tomatoes
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Improves soil structure and drainage – The texture of sawdust helps aerate the soil and improve water drainage This is good for tomato roots
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Suppresses weeds – Spreading a layer of sawdust mulch around plants blocks light from reaching weed seeds Less weeds means less competition for nutrients and water
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Retains moisture – Sawdust is excellent at retaining water in the soil. Tomatoes need consistent moisture, especially when fruits are developing.
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Adds organic matter over time – As sawdust slowly decomposes it contributes organic matter and nutrients to the soil. This improves fertility and water holding capacity.
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Affordable and readily available – Sawdust is cheap, easy to source and use. It’s a budget-friendly soil amendment compared to compost or manure.
Downsides of Sawdust for Tomato Plants
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High carbon content – Sawdust is almost pure carbon. As it decomposes, it robs nitrogen from the soil that plants need. This can stunt growth and yield.
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May harbor molds or fungi – Some fungi that live in rotting wood can infect tomato plants. Using fresh, unrotted sawdust reduces this risk.
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Potentially toxic chemicals – Pressure treated lumber contains toxic chemicals like arsenic. Never use sawdust from treated wood in the garden.
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Very slow to break down – Depending on the wood type, sawdust can take 1-3 years to fully decompose. Nutrient release is very slow compared to compost.
How to Use Sawdust in the Tomato Garden
If you want to use sawdust when growing tomatoes, here are some tips:
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Get sawdust from untreated, non-toxic wood – Hardwoods like oak and maple are best. Avoid evergreen wood which breaks down slowly. Never use sawdust from treated lumber.
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Use in moderation – No more than 1-2 inches of sawdust per square foot. Too much will tie up nitrogen. Mix with compost or manure.
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Add extra nitrogen – Supplement with a nitrogen fertilizer or compost to prevent nutrient deficiency. Chicken manure is an excellent pairing.
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Aged is better – Let sawdust sit in a pile for 6-12 months before using. Aged sawdust has lower carbon content and is safer for plants.
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Don’t put in planting holes – Only use sawdust as a surface mulch, not mixed into the main tomato root zone.
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Monitor plants – Check for signs of nitrogen deficiency like yellow leaves or weak growth. Add nitrogen as needed.
The Bottom Line
Sawdust certainly has its place in the vegetable garden when used correctly. The benefits of weed suppression, moisture retention and added organic matter over time can boost tomato plant growth. Just be cautious with fresh sawdust to prevent nitrogen depletion and other issues. Following best practices, sawdust can be a cheap, available soil amendment for healthier, more productive tomato plants.
Types of Saw Dust
Understanding the different types of sawdust, such as Hardwood, Softwood, and Composites, is crucial for successful gardening. Each type, classified based on the species of tree from which the wood originates, has its unique properties. For instance, hardwood sawdust, made from deciduous trees like oak or maple, is ideal for certain plants, while softwood sawdust, from coniferous trees like pine or spruce, is better suited for others.
Based on the type of tree, sawdust is divided into two large categories – coniferous and deciduous. The shavings from cutting coniferous trees greatly acidify the soil on the site. Moreover, this is characteristic not only of fresh but also of half-rotted substrate. So, pine chips are used only for crops that thrive in acidic soil (with a pH of 5.5-6). Here are a few crops:
Potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, rhubarb, radishes, turnips, rosemary, tomatoes, pumpkin, sorrel, and spinach are among the vegetables grown. Fruit and berry plants include barberry, blueberry, Japanese quince, viburnum, honeysuckle, cranberry, and dogwood, as well as some flowers like lupine, peony, violet, and lily of the valley.
Is Sawdust A Good Mulch In Your Garden 2025
FAQ
Is saw dust good for tomato plants?
Can I use their sawdust to mulch around the tomatoes? A: A light mulch of the sawdust, no more than an inch thick, should be fine for your plants.
What is the best thing to put around tomato plants?
I use natural (undyed) cedar mulch around my tomatoes. It has worked great retaining moisture plus it is not attractive to rodents like straw much is.
Is fresh sawdust good for the garden?
Amend soil: As an option, you may want to add small amounts of sawdust to your soil to increase organic matter and improve its texture. This is because sawdust is very slow to decompose; it works especially well in moist, heavy soils like clay, where soil amendments tend to break down quickly.
What are the disadvantages of sawdust?
- Inhaling dust into the lungs can cause breathing problems and lead to lung diseases such as occupational asthma and lung cancer. …
- Getting dust in the eyes can cause irritation and damage.
- Skin contact with wood dust can cause ulceration of the skin, irritation and dermatitis.
Can you grow tomatoes with sawdust?
You’ll often see some success growing tomatoes and potatoes in a part sawdust mixture. Sawdust does have the ability to fight weeds, although it should be used sparingly. Due to its texture, being able to compress under feet, sawdust makes for an excellent natural garden path. Grow Your Yard Tip
Should I use sawdust in my soil?
Demerit of using sawdust High in carbon: If you plough sawdust into your soil especially using high sawdust-soil ratio, plant would find difficulty in growing there for a year or more.
What kind of sawdust should I use for Tomatoes?
Our recommendation would be to use sawdust from Deciduous trees, such as Oak, Beech, Maple and Elm. The sawdust from these trees breaks down and decomposes relatively quickly, definitely the best option. Is sawdust good for tomatoes?
Does sawdust kill grass?
As we’ve covered previously, sawdust is incredibly high in carbon, and that carbon will absorb all the nitrogen available as the sawdust breaks down, leaving your grass dead. If you do however mix sawdust into your soil, that soil will eventually become nutrient reach, once it’s recovered. Plants Do not use sawdust for plants.
How do you use sawdust in a garden?
Use it on top of the soil as mulch, or else turn it into compost first before mixing it into the soil. For more information, check out my article on how to compost sawdust. Newspaper – if you can get old newspapers from neighbors, you can use them to cover the ground around your tomato plants.
Can you use sawdust to grow vegetables?
There are a few benefits to using sawdust, sawdust is great at stopping weeds from growing and due to it’s texture, it’s brilliant at retaining moisture, which will allow your vegetables to thrive. You’ll need to add calcium nitrate every couple of weeks to prevent a disease called blossom end rot, but other than that, you’re good to go.