Using Sawdust and Bark in The Garden Instead of Wood Chips. Back to Eden Gardening

I use sawdust and bark as a deep garden mulch. I find this material works better than wood chips and a Back to Eden style garden. The sawdust I use holds water much better.
After watching Paul Gauci‘s Back to Eden style of gardening, I started using wood chips with good results. But I found the wood chips dried out more quickly than I was hoping. Here in Southern Oregon we have a very hot dry climate in the summer.
Last year I discovered the sawdust and bark around my Woodmizer LT15 sawmill stayed wet through the hottest driest summer we have ever had. I decided to start using that on the garden instead of the wood chips.
I have a no till permaculture garden that is gradually becoming a food forest. It is in an off grid location with limited water.
I am also away from this property much of the summer. I am not around keep it watered for weeks at a time This deep mulch allows me to grow a garden here that I would otherwise not be able to grow.

[@dewloft7322]

True gangster using that big bar!

[@gladebrosi6587]

I am an agronomist and the folks that warn you about sawdust and woodchips fundamentally do not understand nutrient cycling

[@WilsonForestLands]

That’s why sometimes I like to just do the experiment and see what actually works and what doesn’t. I think that works better than listening to all the chatter.

[@markfcoble]

Thanks!

[@MsdMakingSawDust]

Well it looks like that little chainsaw did a good job. I bet that garden holds a lot of moisture. That will make the plants grow like crazy. That’s almost the same concept of the Horticulture garden ( hugelkultur ) (German pronunciation ) me and my wife made some large boxes and did that away. Worked good. Thanks for sharing

[@WilsonForestLands]

I always thought this was my version of hugelkulture. Except in this case the wood is above ground instead of below. It could be interesting to try both ways and compare the difference.

[@southernadirondackoutdoors]

Alot of work but good results!

[@WilsonForestLands]

A lot of work in the beginning but less work than having to continually weed and water. Yes very good results.

[@stephenwells9698]

excellent video. One question, do you sell any of your produce? Also when you cut a tree , do you plant a new one? Thanks, Stephen

[@WilsonForestLands]

I don’t sell any, I just grow it for my own use. And give some to friends and family when I have extra. I usually don’t plant trees. In most cases around here the problem is there are already too many trees. The trees need to be thinned out because they are overcrowding. That is probably a good subject for future videos.

[@lojzakabat8112]

Why destroy that nice pine??

[@chrisvenables4584]

How did they go?

[@WilsonForestLands]

It ended up being such a ridiculously hot dry summer, I left the area for the rest of the summer. Between all the 105° to 113° weather and not getting any watering, the butternut squash still survived and produced some usable squash. Not the lush growth it would have likely had if I was around to give it water once in a while.

[@RocketPipeTV]

Oh dude, get yourself a weed whacker. That’s damn dangerous the way you swing that chainsaw around.

[@WilsonForestLands]

I have one but this works better. I’ve been operating a chainsaw professionally for 35 years. It probably looks more dangerous on video than it actually was.