Sand question

[NJCher]

I'm in the northeast where we have a clay soil. I garden from raised beds as the soil is so horrible.

Awhile back I stored some sand that was left over from a sidewalk project. My intent was to put in some carrot beds. Carrots like sandy soil, so I intended to mix some garden loam with the rest of the sand.

Last night, however, I was reading in a gardening book and it said not to use this type of sand. Get only sand that is made for gardening.

Anyone know why builder-grade sand might not be good for growing crops?


Cher

[Gormy Cuss]

1. I'm just guessing here, but I think that sand sold for gardening has been sterilized

and builder's sand may contain fungus or non-beneficial nematodes.

[Kolesar]

2. If I recall correctly, the distinction is whether you add coarse or fine sand

If you add the wrong type of sand to clay soil, it will bind up with the clay to form brick-like clods when they dry in the sun.

I think that coarse sand is what you want. However, I am not 100% certain because I read that section of a book last year and did not commit it to memory. My soil is quite sandy, so I did not dwell on the subject.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. It's true that adding sand to clay soil can be a fine recipe for making bricks..

From what I've read it's tricky to get the right mix of sand and clay to avoid this other than by making the sand volume equal or exceed the clay soil. Size of the sand grains and type and texture of the clay both matter in the equation. In my western clay soil it's true that any type of sand added to the clay turns it into adobe unless the sand and other amendments exceed the percentage of clay in the mix. Heck, even without the sand it uncultivated areas turn into solid masses during the dry season. If we need to dig a hole in the summer the first step is irrigating the area thoroughly.

We amend our clay soil with compost and manure.

[Kolesar]

4. Build raised beds and buy tons of topsoil to put in them

Somewhere, there is a factory that makes topsoil. I hope the worms are unionized.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. All of our vegetable beds are framed raised beds with purchased soil mixed with native clay.

If we don't frame the beds the loamy soil is washed away by the winter rains. We have only deep rooted and native plants directly in the ground.

The odd thing is our clay is loaded with worms in the winter. I have no idea where they go in the summer.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. I added builders sand to my clay and all is wonderful...

Of course, I also added peat moss, compost, old bark dust, perlite, lime, and a little top soil too. :shrug:

[XemaSab]

9. That sounds like a good call

For the OP, I would suggest gypsum pellets, well-aged compost, and a heavy layer of mulch in addition to cutting in the sand.

We've slowly been working on a clay patch on the side of the house, and this seems to be working.

(PS Don't TOUCH the soil if it's really wet. Wait until it's damp before you dig in it.)

[NJCher]

7. thanks for the ideas, everyone

I'm mixing the sand with garden soil I purchase, however, not the clay. My question is more to whether there is some type of chemical or something they put in the sand. I'll check with my lumberyard, where I bought it. They might know. I'll post back if I find anything out.


Cher

[Gormy Cuss]

10. Worry about pathogens too, as I posted upthread.

I think that's a distinction -- sterilized builder's sand would be better.

[MajorChode]

8. Sand is not always the best way to deal with clay soil

The problem with trying to use sand to amend clay soil is you have to use massive amounts of sand before you will do any good in many instances. It's something like a 5 to 1 ratio in many cases, which means you may need as much as 5 parts sand to one part clay to transform the soil into loam.

The best (or at least the easiest) solution I have found is to use organic material to amend the soil. I will pile a couple of inches of mulch over the soil(you may need more for things like root vegetables), then I will either wait a few months or you can till it in for faster results or if the area is to be used for a vegetable garden. This is a temporary solution as it will not transform the soil into loam, but it works well and will usually last for a few years before you have to repeat.