On Thu, 7 Feb 2019 10:12:34 +0000, Jeff Layman wrote:

On 07/02/19 08:59, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 7 Feb 2019 08:42:10 +0000, alan_m
wrote:

As for a previous warning on salt, if it is going to cause a problem in
a garden it is going to cause greater problems when using it for
building! The sand will have been washed.

+1

In my previous bungalow, we were right on the coast, up a steep hill
straight from the beach. In winter the windows would be crusted with
salt from the SW gales, and balls of spume would blow across the
garden. Also, I used to bring carloads of seaweed up from the beach
and put it straight on the garden as a mulch around shrubs etc, with
no attempt to wash it. The salt deposited on the garden by winter
gales and with the seaweed did no harm, although foliage got burnt,
but that's not quite the same thing.

Maybe that's why Jersey Royals today have lost much of their flavour -
no natural salt from the seaweed which used to be used as a
fertiliser/mulch! :-)

Regarding salt in builders sand, it may depend on the source. If you
look under "Consists of" here
https://www.greenvaleproductsltd.com/builders-sand-tonne-bag-156-p.asp,
it's a bit ambiguous as to whether this particular sand contains salt or
not. There is also ample possibility of confusion when many merchants
specifically list "builders sand" and "Washed sharp sand". It tends to
suggest that the latter comes from the sea and required washing. Not
sure about the former, though!

The Bude canal (interesting story to Google) was built at great expense to
bring beach sand to the farmers of North Cornwall and Devon. The soil there
is known as 'cold clay'. It was never successful due to the steep slopes,
but I guess the principle wasn't too good as that same land is mainly given
over to grass for cattle grazing, silage and hay with little arable which
is really what gardening is.
--
Jim S