Walnut waste?

[firebroad]

I was able to get a decent scrounge, with most of if black walnut and some Norway maple. I had to take the long pieces and cut them into <18", an I was concerned about the chemical in the wood winding up in my back yard that is already struggling to grow grass, I know that grass won't grow under walnuts, and that the chemical in it, juglone, can be toxic to a lot of plants, so I have been cutting and splitting on the "carporch". Now I have a big bag of sawdust, was wondering if there is any practical use for it, as I hate just throwing it in the trash. I am tempted to put in in the mulch pathways between my raised beds, but I wonder it it will leach into the garden soil?
What do you all do with walnut scraps?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Your idea would be good Sue. Just don't put it too thick and you should be fine. If you have any walkways or paths, even back in the woods, that would be a good use for it. For us, anything we don't want like that, we simply take it to the woods and put it in low spots in the lanes.

 

[firebroad]

Though I live in the country, my "spread" is a little more than half an acre, so not many options. Hmm, I do have some flagstones that make a walkway in front, maybe I can sprinkle a little between the cracks where only weeds grow, anyway!
Yeah, I guess a little here and there won't hurt...(famous last words)

 

[Paulywalnut]

I have a lot of walnut trees and grass grows under all of them... That's about it though, no flowers or shrubs.

 

[BobUrban]

Grass is pretty hardy - as are weeds(unfortunately) so you may be over thinking it but I am no horticulturist.

Get the monster 50lb bag of contractor grade grass seed from TSC or equivalent and over seed your lawn now with a concentration on your work area then make sure your lawn mower is working well

 

[arbutus]

If you have a good working compost pile the juglone in the sawdust will break down.

 

[firebroad]

If you have a good working compost pile the juglone in the sawdust will break down.

Thanks, Arbutus, I did find out that the juglone will break down in the compost pile. I have one started for next year, so in it goes!!

 

[Jon1270]

Composting any wood takes a long time, mostly because it's extremely high in carbon and low in nitrogen. Mix in as much green stuff (weeds, grass clippings, etc.) as you can to balance it out and make the process faster.

 

[firebroad]

Composting any wood takes a long time, mostly because it's extremely high in carbon and low in nitrogen. Mix in as much green stuff (weeds, grass clippings, etc.) as you can to balance it out and make the process faster.

I have four of those big black bins, they get mostly leaves, kitchen waste, garden waste. I usually get 1 full bin (two halves) of rich black stuff every spring. Funny, by the time I get it onto the beds, it just doesn't seem to be that much...

 

[Jon1270]

Brown, high-carbon tree leaves gathered in the fall are a good balance for the nitrogen-rich green materials that tend to go in during the growing season. Too much of either makes the environment inhospitable to the microscopic critters that do the composting. Too much nitrogen and you get smelly, slimy rot instead of composting. Too much carbon and the pile just sits there doing nothing. Wood is extremely high in carbon, so you're in danger of stalling the composting process if you don't balance it out.

 

[firebroad]

Brown, high-carbon tree leaves gathered in the fall are a good balance for the nitrogen-rich green materials that tend to go in during the growing season. Too much of either makes the environment inhospitable to the microscopic critters that do the composting. Too much nitrogen and you get smelly, slimy rot instead of composting. Too much carbon and the pile just sits there doing nothing. Wood is extremely high in carbon, so you're in danger of stalling the composting process if you don't balance it out.

I must be doing something right, then...

 

[Jon1270]

The book Square Foot Gardening, companion to the old PBS show, recommends sawdust be kept to less than 10% of the total ingredients by volume.

 

[Soundchasm]

I thought the Walnut chemical was released through the roots. Could the sawdust cause a problem too? Didn't know to give that thought any consideration. Live and learn.

 

[firebroad]

I thought the Walnut chemical was released through the roots. Could the sawdust cause a problem too? Didn't know to give that thought any consideration. Live and learn.

From what I have read, the roots have the largest concentration, the leaves the least and the wood is somewhere in the middle. In fact, they tell folks not to use walnut sawdust as litter for horses, it can make them sick

 

[Paulywalnut]

The green husk of the walnut is very toxic. The first person who ate a walnut was either very brave or very stupid.

 

[lindnova]

Grass, raspberries and some lilies will grow under walnuts at my place. Not much else. Tomatoes and Potatoes especially hate the walnut Juglone. I have a garden within 100 ft of walnuts and have no problems. Compost it or spread it thin on grass or paths and you will be fine.

 

[Jon1270]

Tomatoes and Potatoes especially hate the walnut Juglone.

Also rhubarb.

 

[S Roche]

I have been cutting and piling logs for a couple of years and I wouldn't worry too much about the tree itself, its the husk of the walnuts that have a high concentration of tannic acid, that is the bad stuff.

 

[weatherguy]

The green husk of the walnut is very toxic. The first person who ate a walnut was either very brave or very stupid.

You can say that for a lot of things we eat.

 

[Applesister]

Bag it and throw it in a dumpster somewhere.

 

[firefighterjake]

The green husk of the walnut is very toxic. The first person who ate a walnut was either very brave or very stupid.

... or very hungry.

 

[firefighterjake]

You can say that for a lot of things we eat.

For sure ...take the hard shelled lobster.

 

[firebroad]

For sure ...take the hard shelled lobster.

My father always said the bravest man in history is the first man who decided to eat an oyster.

 

[begreen]

... or very hungry.

Probably a hunter that saw how squirrels eat the nut.

 

[firefighterjake]

Probably a hunter that saw how squirrels eat the nut.

. . . or a hungry hunter that wasn't much good at hunting squirrels.