black-walnut shavings

[k15n1]

I'm trying to figure out what to do with black walnut shavings and sawdust.

A black walnut tree fell in the front yard last year. I had it cut into boards, which I am now planing into finished lumber. It's a fun project, but the pile of shavings is huge!

I'm saving some for a ice-house project, but I'm running out of room to store the stuff.

Any suggestions for other uses?

 

[patandchickens]

Give it to someone who wants to sawdust-mulch an area so that nothing will grow there (pathways, around swingset, etc)?

Dunno otherwise... that's a toughie!

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Shiloh Acres]

I don't know HOW to do it exactly, but you can mix it with something and it hardens into a wood-like substance, which can be used to make decorative carvings or, more usually, is formed using a mold so that it looks like a carved piece. Walnut might be a nice wood for that. You could always contact a wood-working group for information or to see if someone there wants it?

I know that idea is a long shot and not something I'd have time for. But other than what Pat suggested, it's all I can think of. Wonder if it's safe for animals as a bedding and might cut down on parasites??? I'm not sure ...

 

[Wannabefree]

I know sawdust can be used to overwinter certain vegetables in a root cellar. Other than that and the other suggestions..I dunno.

I'd be using it as mulch around all these danged trees in our yard to keep from having to mow there

 

[patandchickens]

Wonder if it's safe for animals as a bedding

Potentially lethal (via laminitis) for horses.

Questionable for any other livestock either, I sure wouldn't use it for animals myself.

(e.t.a. -- the juglones that walnut roots secrete, weakening or killing most other plants, are present in substantial quantities in the sawdust too. Presumably eventually they'd leach out or break down but I would not use black walnut sawdust as mulch around anything, esp. not a long-term investment like trees, that I wanted to SURVIVE )

Pat

 

[Denim Deb]

Pat beat me to it. You don't normally see a lot of other plants growing around walnut for just that reason.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I did a search, --apparently it is poison for dogs as well as horses. It can be however, be used to soothe skin irritations like eczema, etc. It is quite an interesting plant, with healing and hurting properties.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

It IS interesting. I use a tincture of black walnut topically.

I'd love to plant one, but I don't have space to create a dead zone ... So I guess I'll be buying my walnuts at the store.

Thanks for the comments re: animals. I don't use anything but Aspen, so I wasn't sure. Even cedar and pine have given me problems, so no surprise on the walnut. I probably shouldn't even have mentioned it in the form of a question, but good info to know.

 

[Denim Deb]

Don't know which part of the tree is used, but I recall that they used to use part of the walnut as a hair dye. It would dye hair black.

 

[patandchickens]

Dye is usually made from the husks of the nuts. THey stain your hands etc too. Since the shavings don't, I kind of doubt you could make dye out of them? But I dunno.

Pat