Back to basics – soil and its secrets – sandy soil

Sandy soil will feel gritty and won't hold together when you crush it in your hand. Frequently it has the classic sandy brown colour and is easy to dig over. Water-logging is rare on sandy soils as they are very free-draining. The big advantage, especially for market gardeners is that sandy soil is quick to warm up in spring, so sowing and planting can be done earlier in the year than with clay or silty soil. On the other hand, because sandy soils are well aerated and very free draining they are both thirsty and hungry thus will need regular watering and application of fertilisers.

Plants that thrive on sandy soils are often adapted to a world in which low nutrients and drought feature. It will help you preserve their natural habitat by not overwatering if you choose to have a garden for sand-adapted plants. Should you want to push your boundaries into non-sand-adapted plants, you need to improve sandy soil by adding plenty of nutrient rich organic matter and giving additional plant food in the form of balanced (preferably slow release) fertiliser. Mulch the soil to help reduce evaporation of water from the soil surface and avoid extreme fluctuations in surface temperature which could harm plant roots.

Sand-adapted plants that don’t require you to change your soil conditions include: the glowing white silver-leaved convolvulus, all the cistus (broom) family, the bright salvias, mallows and lavateras, the oriental poppy and the glorious imported Yucca.

Sand photograph by , r-z used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

© blueworldgardener.co.uk