Topic: Sandy soil

[TheJerseyBean]

I am 1 of 30 new plot holders on  a  new site, the soil is very sandy, what is the best way of preparing this soil type for the first time , we have made raised beds and are close to the sea for seaweed if need be and have found someone for manure

[pigeonseed]

Congrats on new plot!

I think you sound like you're doing the right things - I think you need lots of organic matter in there, as you are planning.

I think on very light soils, you tend to find the plants suffer in hot weather. Maybe mulching in summer will help hold moisture in?

And I suppose you'll grow good root veg!

[BarriedaleNick]

Hi there and Welcome!

Organic matter of any sort and as much as you can get.
Sandy soils are very free draining and low in nutrients and adding organics will help with both issues.  Seaweed is fine but can be quite salty is you use loads of it so add other stuff as well.  To kick things off a good helping of stable manure would be great.  Some councils do free\cheap green compost and there are lots of other sources - city farms are good.
Get a couple of compost bins on the go for the long term and collect everything you can!!

[TheJerseyBean]

Thanks, someone also said that adding peat will help to is that right

[pigeonseed]

I'm sure peat is also great for organic matter, but I think it's acidic? I don't know if that's a problem for your soil. Manure and compost are usually easier and cheaper /free - unless you live on a peat bog!

[lincsyokel2]

Thanks, someone also said that adding peat will help to is that right

if you use raw peat its very acidic, which ok if you going to grow 400 square yards of blueberries, otherwise you'll have  to dig in a shed load of lime to adjust the pH.

[Vinlander]

Check out "terra preta" in Google.

It is how the original indian tribes in Brazil used charcoal in poor sand to trap moisture and nutrients - the difference between the ordinary sand and terra preta is legendary and it is 'mined' to sell to gardeners.

Apparently they just smothered their waste bonfires to create a mixture of sterilised plant waste and charcoal - though nobody is sure yet if this simple method can be used straight away or it needs to be left some time to digest the tars before use.

It's pretty clear that clean charcoal made from trimmed branches using traditional UK methods doesn't have this downside.

If you own your land you're laughing - if it's an allotment then life isn't so simple...

Cheers.

[PAULW]

JB
I am on sandy soil it has taken me about five years to get from talcum powder to something like soil, I have just poured on tons of manure, I mulch the spuds with straw which breaks down and goes into the soil, I have even gone as far as digging trenches across the plot four foot wide a spit deep then filling the trench with any organic matter I can get my hands on then back filling just to get some moisture retention lots of work but worth it,
as for the raised bed I put one in about six to nine inch deep when I first took the plot again dug out a spit deep filled with well rotted manure and back filled more manure turned into the top soil only problem was you could stand out in a monsoon watering with a fire hose for twenty five hours a day and next day the bed would be as dry as dust, I spent more time watering this 10 x 4 bed than I did the rest of the plot but thats just me, mulch mulch mulch to help retain moisture. 

[shirlton]

Over the years we have had heavy soil and fine sandy soil. We are far happier with the sandy. Its easier to cure than heavy sticky soil. Our soil is acid so we don't use peat but plenty of muck and mulch.Its a lot easier to dig as well.
As pigeonseed said you will be able to grow some nice root veg.