Walnut curlies question

[Paul Williams]

A while back I posted about the large walnut rounds i recieved from a friend. They are creating a lot of curlies as I rough out blanks. I know there is a concern about walnut and horses, and have seen some post that they do not put walnut sawdust anywhere they want things to grow. Exactly what is the concern regarding plants? Would it be OK to put the curlies in my compost pile? How about dumping them down in the woods that border my property? I filled 5 garbage can size bags just cutting up the largest round into 14 x 14 blanks.

[Scott Hackler]

Paul,

Not sure about the horse deal (but that does sound familiar), but walnut shavings and sawdust will leach out an oil after rain hits them and kill most vegetation around them if they are piled up. After I rough out walnut, I scatter the shavings, very thinly, around the yard. In small quanities I don't think there is an issue and I haven't seen problems out in the yard.

[Michelle Rich]

NO do not compost walnut

[steven carter]

As has been stated here many times, walnut shavings can cause horses to founder, keep them away from horses. The juglone in the curlies dows supress growth of plants, but it is not like spraying with roundup. I have tried to supress weeds with walnut curlies, and it has reduced but not totally eliminated them.

[Toby Bouder]

I dump mine in the woods. My wife wishes there was something that could be made with them!

[Paul Williams]

Thanks for the responses. I have several areas where a little reduction in vegitation growth would be a good thing. Just don't want to kill everything in sight of a pile of curlies. I think I will spread them out in the woods where I have lots of undergrowth.

[William Bachtel]

I burn mine.

[Bernie Weishapl]

My neighbor uses it to start his wood stove. It will kill plants and flowers. Don't ask me how I know. I was told by our local vet that it will founder horse and can kill them.

[Doug Herzberg]

Our closest commercial sawmill won't saw walnut because their sawdust goes to horse operations. I don't go to great lengths to keep it out of the compost pile, but it is certainly never a dominant element in the compost mix. If I can easily segregate it, as in the case of lathe work, I put it in the trash.

[Dave Fritz]

I have a friend that puts it around plants he wants to kill.

Here's a good resource:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1148.html