"Andy Hunt" wrote in message
...
I have some builders' sand hanging around in my yard, and I was going to
use
it for drainage in some new pots I've bought today.

My dad however has advised me not to, he says that this sand contains lots
of chemicals which won't do plants any good, because it is building sand.

The sand has been outside in the rain for at least 3 years - does anyone
know if my dad's correct about this, and if so, whether the rain would
have
washed the sand clean by now?

Even if it is full of chemicals, if I just use it for an inch-thick layer
of
drainage material at the bottom of each pot, would it be OK?

As with a lot of people, my garden soil is/was largely builders rubble
including the mortar etc that they always leave on site. It doesn't seem to
do much harm to the plants, although I suspect if used in plant pots it
would be washed away in heavy rains. I don't know what chemicals if any it
has in it, but if it's been lying around for three years I would expect it
to be riddled with catcrap, but that's a whole different thread/flamewar.

Better would be to break up the polystyrene you got wrapped round your
Christmas X-box or whatever and use that.

HTH

Steve