If you want to remove a tree on your property, you might end up with a stump. However, stumps can hide tons of pests such as bees, termites, and ants. With this in mind, you will need stump grinding to remove the stump.
Things to Do with Sawdust from Stump Grinding
Stump grinding involves clearing stumps with tools. As they operate, the grinders produce tons of sawdust. Now the question comes – what will you do with all this material?
Now here are some interesting tasks that will need some sawdust.
1. Mulch the Sawdust
You can use sawdust to mulch the soil around your garden. Even if the material contains excess carbon, it might stop the growth of plants on your property. However, you can avoid this problem by adding nitrogen supplements to the soil.
To use sawdust:
- Mix with nitrogen and sawdust
- Place the sawdust on the soil
- Keep the sawdust away from plants as it can hurt such organisms.
- Replenish your sawdust supply from time to time.
2. Make Fake Snow
If you need some snow for your school play, you can make some without any stress. To make play snow, you will need some sawdust from your stump and white spray paint.
- Lay out the sawdust on some plastic
- Spray the material with white spray paint
- Allow drying thoroughly
3. Fight Weeds
Sawdust can fight most types of weed. But if you want something more potent, try using sawdust from plants like black walnut. As expected, using sawdust to battle unwanted plants does not require much.
- Take the sawdust to the preferred location
- Spread the material across the path or soil
- Use a broom to spread the sand in tight corners between stones and rocks.
4. Cultivate Mushrooms
Sawdust from stump grinding can be used to plant mushrooms. But before you can use the sawdust, it should come in the form of blocks.
Creating these items might be difficult. But if you follow these steps, you can get a fresh set of blocks within a short period.
Instructions
- Get a 5-gallon bucket
- Pour in oak wood chips, oak sawdust, millet, and rice bran. Then mix the ingredients with your hands
- Get the ideal texture for the mix by adding some water
- Put the mixture in a heat-resistant bag. Allow gases to escape by keeping the bag on.
- Set up your pressure cooker and heat the mixture – with boiling water- for 2 hours. As you cook the mixture, ensure that the bag does not touch the boiling liquid.
- Use gloves to let out steam from the cooker. Then take out the bag and keep it in a cool, dry place.
5. Fight Snails and Slugs
If slugs or snails travel over sawdust, they might lose their slime. For this reason, sawdust from stump grinding serves as ideal tools for curbing these pests.
You can use sawdust by spreading it across your yard. However, you will have to check on the shavings from time to time because of the weather. After all, the wind might blow them away from their position.
6. Add the Sawdust to Cement
For many years, builders have used sawdust with cement to build walls and floors. When used, the sawdust has enough features for several projects.
To get the best results, they choose sawdust that comes from hardwood stumps. Besides, they used the following steps to mix the cement with the sawdust.
Instructions:
- Combine the sawdust with cement and mix perfectly
- Add more cement to the mixture. Continue mixing until the cement and sawdust have the same color.
- Sprinkle water with a watering can and continue mixing.
- Squeeze some mixture between your fingers. If you do not notice any water, then you have gotten the right mix.
7. Wipe Spills
Sawdust boasts of a high absorption rate. For this reason, it comes as the right tool for clearing various types of liquids. To handle most spills, consider using these steps.
- If a spill lands on your floor, pour some sawdust over it. Leave for some minutes and sweep away the dirt. You can use this method if you can’t clean your floor with a mop.
- Throw some stumping sawdust on the floor before spills land. As expected, the material will absorb this liquid without issues.
- For scrubbing the floor, mix sawdust with water. Then scrub the ground with the normal method.
8. To Fill Holes
You can add sawdust to holes. However, the holes should be in wooden furniture, toys, and other items. Before you can use sawdust as a filler, use the following steps to turn it into an adhesive.
- Mix the sawdust with white glue or carpenter’s glue.
- Spread the resulting product on the hole. Then smoothen the area with sandpaper.
9. Preserve Ice
Ice does not go well with heat. But if you wrap ice in sawdust from stumping, it can last for long periods. Just stack some blocks and place sawdust between them.
10. Start a Fire
Still, looking for a way to handle your sawdust from stomping? Well, you can use it to start a fire. So if you lose your matches, the following steps can help with this task.
- Get some candlewax and melt it in a pot.
- Thicken the liquid with some sawdust
- Keep the mixture into an egg carton and allow it to cool.
11. Get Traction
If you travel through snowy paths with a truck, try adding some sawdust in its path. After all, sawdust provides traction for vehicles while making the snow – on the road – stronger.
Wrapping Up
Stump grinding might look like strenuous activity. But if you get a professional for this task, any stump should be removed without stress. Also, stump grinding offers an incredible amount of sawdust.
Sawdust might look like any piece of junk. However, there are several things you can perform with some sawdust. With this article, you have seen sawdust as a cleaner, fire starter, building material, and adhesive. It also deals with any insects that might invade your space.
