How to Augment Sandy Soil
Soil sustains biological activity, providing a growth medium for plants, food for animals, filtration for water and insulation from heat and cold for some creatures. The most agriculturally productive soil is an even mix of sand, clay and organics. Sandy soil allows water to filter through very rapidly, which means it dries out too quickly. This leads to leaching away of necessary minerals and buildup of salts in the soil, causing it to lose its productivity. Unless something is done to change the quality of sandy soil, it becomes too expensive to raise crops or livestock. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Soil test kit
- Manure or stable sweepings
- Compost bin
- Old newspapers
- Vegetable and fruit peelings
- Yard waste
- Cardboard
- Earthworms
- Corn meal
- "Grey water"
Instructions
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Take soil samples from various parts of your garden. Take a clump of soil in one hand and rub it between your thumb and fingers. If it powders away quickly, you probably have sandy soil. Send the samples to your local soil and water conservation district for advice on what to do to augment your soil for the specific crops you intend to plant or livestock your intend to raise.
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While you wait for your soil samples to be reviewed, start a compost bin. This can be as simple as a small waste bin next to the sink in your kitchen, or as complex as a rotating drum in the back yard. Keep vegetable and fruit peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, newspaper, cardboard, and coffee filters in a bin, alternating a layer of waste with a layer or so of soil. Do not put bread or meat in your compost, as they will cause mold and bacteria to grow.If using a rotating drum, add kitchen waste first, then grass clippings, leaves, and shredded yard waste, then a layer of soil. Rotate drum daily. Add water every few days, just enough to moisten everything in the compost bin.At the end of a month, open the drain hole and catch any liquid in a bucket or watering can. Dump out the drum and mix the compost well with a pitchfork or toothed rake. Remove any large pieces of paper or waste and return them to the drum. What is left is a very dark soil, full of nutrients. Add a couple dozen worms to the mixture and sprinkle well with cornmeal. Wait a day or so for the worms to become active. The soil should then be worked into your garden with a tiller or a toothed rake.The liquid from the drum, known as compost tea, is very high in nutrients and should be used on any indoor or patio grown plants you have. Use compost tea instead of plain water and watch your plants thrive.
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Layer stable sweepings or manure in the garden, followed by straw or grass clippings, mulched leaves or shredded newspapers. Till your garden about six to eight inches deep, making sure that any grass or other plant material is mixed deep into the soil.Cage waste from rabbits and guinea pigs can be used in your compost bin, but not cat litter. Cat and dog feces have too many parasites that can be transmitted to humans. Chicken manure can also be used in composting or applied directly to the garden. Be sure to use gloves and a mask when handling any animal manure, and wash hands immediately.
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If you are able to get fish by products, such as bones, shells, skin or carcasses, chop them well and till them into the soil. Do not use any meat by products other than fish. Aquarium water is also a good source of nutrients for the soil. Apply very early in the day just after sunrise or late in the evening to prevent evaporation. Spread old newspapers over soil as soon as you apply aquarium water, to keep the moisture in the soil as long as possible.Be very careful to properly treat gray water before use in your garden. Gray water can contain fecal material, possibly transmitting E. Coli bacteria.
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Tips & Warnings
Apply aquarium water early in the morning just after sunrise or later in the evening after sunset to avoid rapid evaporation.
Use compost tea, the liquid from the compost bin, to water indoor plants and patio gardens.
Add cornmeal and earthworms to compost a few days before working it into your garden to give the worms a chance to become active.
Use a tiller or tooth rake to work compost into your soil.
Sprinkle compost with water from time to time to keep it active.
Do not use meat or bread products in your compost bin, as they will mold and could bring parasites to your garden.
