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Sandy Soil

"How precious are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand." Psalm 139:18

    Gardening in sandy soil can be a blessing and a challenge. I wouldn't trade it for workability. I can make a good-size planting hole for perennials and herbs with my hand, but the very characteristics that make it easy to work in can jeopardize the health of roses. These wonderful flowers will not thrive in poor, dry soil. To meet the requirements for a beautiful rose garden, soil must hold moisture and provide nutrients. To that end, sandy soil must be amended. Happily, I have the help of 8 Khaki Campbell ducks and 18 Hubbard Isa Brown chickens. Their bedding straw, droppings, and the wood shavings leftover from raising 25 roasting chickens each spring aid in making our sandy soil nutrient rich. What once looked like sandbox fill is now darker, has structure, and retains moisture during dry weather. I credit composting with the above results.
      You don't have to raise ducks and chickens to get great soil. You've got a convenient source for excellent compost right in your own kitchen. If you can make a habit of saving your fruit and vegetable scraps every day you'll be well on your way to better soil. (Do not save meats, fats, or pet waste!) I save egg shells too because they are a source of calcium. Add to that any leaves or grass clippings that you can collect, the turf you remove when you create new garden space, and perhaps some cow or horse manure that local farmers are usually happy to get rid of, and you've got a great compost pile that will become black gold for your soil.
      Find an out-of-the-way spot near the garden to make compost. You can pile stuff right on the ground or build bins to keep it neatly contained. Turn the compost pile often to aerate it and encourage breakdown. During hot weather the additives can become compost in as little as 2-3 weeks.
      When you plant roses, remove the soil from the hole, saving the top third of what you dug out. Fill the hole with water two or three times. Add enough rich compost to the soil you saved to fill the hole. I also like to throw a piece of the turf grass-side-down in the bottom of the hole. By the time new roots reach that far, the grass will have decomposed and can provide a nice snack for the rose. Add a couple of trowelfuls of compost around your roses each spring and after each flush of bloom.
      Composting will improve your soil, save you money, and help you attain the lush garden of your dreams. Happy gardening!

Earth with her thousand voices praises God.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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