Gardening in a Sand Pit

[greenthumbomaha]

My new second home is on a small beautiful lake about 10 minutes outside the city. It was originally developed in the 60's as a log cabin summer community. Newer residents are coming in and revitalizing the original structures.

My project last summer was to have a seawall constructed to stabalize a sloping drop off. Now I have all sand literally from the back door to the water...

The sand is 8 feet deep and was reclaimed from a local aggregate mining operation, I think its 16 tons worth, 70 x 16 feet facing east. I'm really excited about growing blueberries. Raspberries too. Everything berry! I'm leaving shady suburbia behind. Finally I have SUN!

I've been thinking of new ways of growing my old faves during this cold winter. Grow bags burried in the sand? Grow bags on top? Raised wooden beds on top of sand? We got down to -16 below in the polar vortex Sunday night, and it can happen again anytime here.

I should mention that the native soil is very sandy as well, but there are few very precious feet of planting space for that. Most neighbors truck soil and build up their garden. I have 4 inches of packed sand from construction spillover surrounding the house.

Bring on your berry best thoughts! - Lisa

[claherron]

Good luck, I live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and my entire 1.5 acres is sand on top of that pine trees and live oaks. Not to mention its on a good slope front to back. Grass will not grow, toms were ok last year, everything else was terrible and I mean terrible. I will try in the ground again this year along with some SWCs, raised beds have always intimated me.

[peebee]

Congrats on your new 2nd home! And that raises a question: will you be living there only in the summer, or is this home close enough to your primary residence so that you will be able to tend to your new garden from time to time? Because as we all know, some plants need more care than others, and you have to factor in things like watering, pruning, deadheading, etc. So if you are going to do more container plantings, will they be self-watering?
This might help some people here who will try to help you with suggestions.

[Hermitian]

A soil that drains too fast is a much nicer problem than clay that drains poorly or not at all. For gardening on the latter, it is akin to living too far north on permafrost: everything must be on top of the evil ground!

So for sand or similar draining soil:

1. For each plant, you dig a hole almost big enough for the size of rootball you hope to have at maturity. Ask yourself, what size root ball would I like to have in 3-5 years?
2. Take 2/3 of the soil (sand) you removed and put it somewhere else.
3. Take the remaining 3rd and mix well with well-cured fine-grained greenery compost. The volume of compost must be sufficient to replace the tossed volume of sand. The purpose of the compost is to increase water retention and decrease percolation.
4. Put this mixture in the hole and you are ready to plant.
5. Important! After planting, put down a 3 inch to 5 inch layer of cured greenery mulch. This mulch should be about 1 inch diameter on average. The purpose of the mulch is to create an active biological environment at and below the soil level. As this mulch breaks down, it will migrate downward into the sands to replace the compost that exits by a variety of mechanisms.
6. Be sure to replenish the top layer of mulch as needed.

[greenthumbomaha]

P1012338-1.jpg

Thank you! I'd gladly trade some of those gulf breezes for our clay soil.

Here is the new garden. It still needs some work as its leaking sand. Everything is frozen solid and it crunches underfoot.

Thank you for your help in describing the planting process. Do you think a berry bush will be insulated well enough in the sand to survive the freezing temps? Its really brutal here this winter, nothing like you can imagine, Richard! Just dread going from the car to the supermarket.

[greenthumbomaha]

Attachment 40737

[claherron]

Those Gulf Breezes have be really cold of late. Congrats on the new home hopefully I will be making another trip to Omaha in June.

[greenthumbomaha]

Hope we can meet then. College World Series?

[drew51]

Blueberries do well in the sand here. The sand here is on the west side of the state and is acidic. If yours is too, I would do what Hermatian suggests. If the sand is basic, I would not try blueberries in it. It's too hard to keep PH low. In a raised bed you could, but I assume growing things in the natural soil is better or say easier to maintain. Many Northern Highbush types can take 16 below. It was 14 below here the other day BTW. The west side of MI produces the most Northern Highbush blueberries in the country. Third in the world behind British Columbia and Brazil of all places! Other states produce the most Southern and Rabbiteye although we do have some. We used to produce the most in the world, but have slipped down.
Anyway Northern's do well in the cold.
If you amend the soil as suggested you could grow raspberries too. They are also very hardy. They prefer a slightly acidic soil, not as much as blueberries, but grow in about anything. For trees you could try June berries, the best cultivar I think is Northline.
If you can do raised beds you can control the soil, but I don't know how dry or wet you are, and how often you will be there? I grow everything in raised beds except trees, and some brambles. I do mound the trees to keep them dry, it is wet around here. I didn't at first but future trees will be mounded. My soil is clay loam and pretty good. I use raised beds for control of soil for acid loving plants, and to keep my dog out! He is trained to stay out of the beds. Worth it as no squirrels dare enter the yard. I don't use nets or anything to protect fruit. Of course do not forget the tomatoes!!! I of course love growing them too!

[claherron]

Yep my Bulldogs almost won it last year, it was my third trip. For me its the most exciting thing in college athletics.

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Attachment 40735[INDENT][INDENT]
Do you think a berry bush will be insulated well enough in the sand to survive the freezing temps? Its really brutal here this winter, nothing like you can imagine, Richard!

Drew is going to help you pick out berries and other fruiting plants that will appreciate your winter.

I know you're having a tough winter there, but I'm sure its no worse than the February I spent in LaMoure ND.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by claherron

Yep my Bulldogs almost won it last year, it was my third trip. For me its the most exciting thing in college athletics.

I went to MSU and we're smelling roses this year! About time!


The attachments are not working, but it is the site, so don't try and fix it, it will not work.

Keep us updated on progress on the new place. I have a cottage too. On the St Clair River between Lake Huron and Lake St Clair. It's beautiful! Been there 49 years, I will never leave! The fishing is grand, the freighters are magnificent!
It's on an island, no cars allowed, one bar.
I'm in the middle of the island and we have lot's of old growth oaks and maples. Some reach 120 feet. So I'm really shaded and struggling to find edibles to grow there. I grow some, but not many. I have one sunny spot and have a couple cherry trees there. Some dogwoods (Cornus Mas) that produce edible fruit. I'm trying to grow some wild Rubus (brambles), and some Ribes (currants) plants there too.They grow well in semi-shade. I forage wild raspberries, blackberries, and mulberries there. Lot's of mushrooms too, but I'm not an expert, so leave them alone. many do pick them there though.

[greenthumbomaha]

I too lived further north for a short time. I feel for you. Upon my arrival, a local sensing my discomfort put things in perspective. You can either get out and enjoy it or stay in and be miserable all winter.

[FILMNET]

Nice Ideas here i moved to North Charleston Sept 1st my wife and me are renting a house here. Huge Pine trees all around here a ton of needles. I was told Epsom salt will be nice form the Tomatoes in the ground.I have all seeds from the last years here, and have buy some new Italy seeds for this year.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by FILMNET

Nice Ideas here i moved to North Charleston Sept 1st my wife and me are renting a house here. Huge Pine trees all around here a ton of needles. I was told Epsom salt will be nice form the Tomatoes in the ground.I have all seeds from the last years here, and have buy some new Italy seeds for this year.

I heard Epsom Salts best be applied as a foliar spray. I love pine needles, great for mulch! I collect bags full every year. At first I just used them for blueberries, but as time went on, I used them more and more, now everything has pine needles. They do vary a lot, depending on tree type. Around here they have a large diameter and are stiff, they ones I can harvest. Up north they are soft. I use both. Whatever I can get. Not sure what type of pines these very different needles come from?
They break down very slowly, stay where you put them. Don't become projectiles when you hit them with the mower.
Strawberries need to be covered completely in the winter, and the pine hay works well for that, and not as messy as straw. It's a practical thin mulch for containers. Well the softer type works very well. My in laws have a couple hundred pine trees on their property in northern MI, and when we visit I bring yard waste bags to fill!