If you own a garden, you must be aware that there are multiple types of soil and that not every soil is suitable for all plants; some might be rich in nutrients, while others might be deficient in them. You would have to adjust your choice of plants based on the type of soil. Most of the time, we only deal with fertile soil, which has a high concentration of nutrients and you don’t need to make large efforts to sow and grow your plants but in some cases, the whole process of plantation does require much effort.
If we talk about sandy soil, it comes in the “hard-to-handle” category because of certain disadvantages, which we will discuss later. Let us first see what the sandy soil is? Sandy soil is formed from crushed and broken rocks of granite, quartz, etc. This means it is composed of large particles. The term mostly used to define particle size is that these are coarse particles, and there are some problems associated with the size of the particles.
Let us have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of sandy soil.
DISADVANTAGES OF SANDY SOIL:
Although there are some cons, most of them could be treated, and there are many solutions out there that could make this type of soil functional for you.
LOW NUTRIENT CONTENT:
The biggest disadvantage of sandy soil is its low nutrient content. This could be because of the smaller surface area of the particles, their low water-holding capacity, and the aeration between the particles. Plants get nutrients from the soil through their roots, and if the basic source is deprived of them, the plant would suffer, and the result would be the death of the plant as it would be difficult for it to survive in a deprived and compromised environment.
LOW WATER HOLDING CAPACITY:
Water holds equal importance in plant growth as a nutrient. Water isn’t only important for maintenance; but is also a major component of photosynthesis, which is the process by which plants make their food. This deficiency of water in the soil could lead to a drought-like condition, which for some plants is a big negative. This water then flows off the particles, washing away many essential nutrients with it as well.
LESS ORGANIC MATTER:
Because the particles are coarser, they are more aerated, so the oxygen content rises dramatically, and the decomposition of matter occurs quickly enough to deprive the soil of organic matter. This will reduce the yield, production, and growth of both crops and plants.
ACIDIC ENVIRONMENT:
This coarse particle soil is acidic as the PH of the soil ranges between 5 to 5.5. Many plants cannot survive in such an acidic environment.
ADVANTAGES OF SANDY SOIL:
This type of soil is very advantageous for those plants that grow in an acidic environment requiring less water for their survival. These plants usually have very strong roots. Such plants are called psammophiles these are drought-tolerant species. As the water content is less the particles remain gritty, due to this grittiness and low compaction the soil becomes light in weight and very easy to handle. Some of the vegetables that grow best in sandy soils include:
- Carrots
- Potato
- Redish
- Collard greens
- And many more.
After having a brief discussion about the benefits and problems associated with the sandy soil let us now move on to the solution part.
HOW TO CONVERT SANDY SOIL INTO FERTILE SOIL?
First and foremost is to address the issue related to water content, to allow the absorption of more water we should make sure of better irrigation, we have to reduce evaporation to reduce water loss, and should adopt water conservation measures. To make the soil more fertile introduction of organic matter and fertilizers is the key solution. Animal manure, coconut husk, compost, wood chips, etc could be added to the soil to make it more fertile and productive.
WILDFLOWERS FOR SANDY SOIL:
Many flowering plants are compatible with sandy soil. In the market, you can easily find a variety of wildflower seeds for sandy soil. These wildflowers include:
1- Butterfly milkweed
2- Cornflower
3- Musk mallow
4- Black medick
5- Yellow rattle
6- Bladder Campion
7- False sunflower
8- Blanket flower
9- Lady’s bedstraw
10- Birdsfoot trefoil
