Sandy soil

From Gardening Wiki

Sandy Soils

A sandy soil means a light and a dry soil. For general purposes it is less desirable in an ordinary small garden than any other variety.

Its composition is such that the passage of water through it is too rapid and too free ; it is not therefore sufficiently retentive of moisture, and it follows that such plant foods as the ground contains will speedily be washed away. An adequate supply of moisture is as great a necessity of plant life as sunshine itself, and if light, sandy soil is to be made a suitable medium for the cultivation of flowers and vegetables its capacity for retaining moisture must be improved.

The quality of cohesion is lacking, and this can best be rectified by the incorporation in the soil of such heavy elements as cow and pig manure, and clay that has previously been laid up, dried, and broken into as small pieces as it is possible to reduce it. It will be found a good plan also to dig into such soil, as opportunity permits in the autumn, decayed vegetable refuse, such as the leaves of cabbages, the haulm of peas, and the decaying stalks of brussels sprouts. These will help to enrich the ground and to give it that binding quality of which it stands in need. The task of improving hungry, sandy soil will be a slow one, but if the remedies recommended are persistently and frequently adopted they are certain to be successful.