Gardening in Sandy Soil

planting in sandy soil

Gardening in sandy soil doesnot have to be difficult if you make special efforts to beef up your soil before beginning your garden. Sandy soil has large particles. This is good in one aspect in that it allows the nutrients to flow easily to your plants.

The plants roots move freely through the soil but often there is not enough support for the plant or enough organic material. If you dig a damp clump of soil and it breaks apart easily its sandy.

fertilizer sandy soil.

The ideal soil to use is a sandy loam soil. The additional organic material in the soil gives it body and nutrition for the plant. Early in the season, you might want to add compost or dried manure to the soil and work it in. A very inexpensive way to amend sandy soil is to mix it with wood shavings. If you know anyone that works with wood extensively, you probably can get shavings from them.

Best Additions to Sandy Soil.

There is no one best addition, rather a combination of additions for gardening in sandy soil. If your soil is too sweet, you can add peat moss. This makes the soil slightly acidic. As mentioned before the addition of sawdust, wood chips and manure make good organic additions to your soil. Since peat moss is relatively expensive, you can use it in moderate amounts mixed with combinations of wood chips and other organic material. Some people use paper shreds also to enhance the sandy soil. Donot use glossy paper in this case.

Create a Compost Pile

Save the environment and improve your garden soil at the same time. Create a compost pile or bin and start making your own soil addition for next years garden. Composting material is salvaged from your trashcan or lawn provides great garden bonuses.

A few of the plus items to add to your compost pile or directly to your sandy soils are coffee grounds, ground egg shells, shredded paper (in smaller amounts) and spoiled milk. The spoiled milk may make your garden stink for a short period, and definitely isnot recommended for those that patio garden, but your plants love its acidic flavor and nutrition. If youre not a coffee drinker, often coffee houses and specialty shops will save their grounds for you. They have to throw them out anyhow and this saves filling the trash. Never use any meat or fat in your compost pile.

Other compost that needs to break down can be piled to the side. It needs to be watered in dry weather particularly on hot days. Turn your compost regularly so the air can reach all parts and speed the process. Once you have rich soil, set it to the side to mix with the soil at the end of the season. After several seasons of adding compost to your garden, it should no longer be sandy but perfect soil for almost any types of plants.

The best way when gardening in sandy soil is to use seaweed lf you live where there are no grass clippings or leaves. Seaweed is an excellent source of material for composting. These plants are rich in nutrients and make a wonderful addition for any compost pile. If you live along a sandy beach, often seaweed and other organic material finds its way to the beach. Go for a walk and take a long a rake and a bag. When you find a large amount of washed up plant material, rake it into a pile, bag it and add it to your compost pile from kitchen scraps.

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