winter mulches

Question

I live in zone 6 in Oregon,  but often we’ll get a unusual hard freeze. I don’t have leaves to use as cover mulch, but I do have both bark dust and wood saw dust is available. Does anyone know if the volatiles from the chipped bark or sawdust can harm the plants they cover? Some of the saw dust is very fragrant with a pitch smell and the bark also has an aroma that wood gives off. I suspect the rain will dampen the wood aromas but I still wonder.

Answer 1

It is safe to use sawdust but you may need to add nitrogen to the soil at the same time. Here is why:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/mulch/using-sawdust-as-mulch.htm