Jim Elbrecht wrote:
Just some thoughts-- If I'm wrong Cereus will correct me.g I'm
convinced that my current garden is on an ancient beach site. [50
feet away is pure clay with a rubble topping, so I'm not complaining]

"Jim Carlock" wrote:


Hello,

I will start by saying that I've had success with Corn, Basil,
and Cucumbers.


That seems to indicate that you manage to keep water in there for the
plants. That's the first trick with sand. You're also growing
things that take a good dose of Nitrogen [corn & basil] and some that
depend more on Potassium. [cukes]



I've got radishes growing but they never looked like radishes...


Your root crops seem to be suffering. They need a high am mount of
phosphorous. My garden is the same--- the only way I've ever had
any decent carrots, beets or radishes was to side dress those rows
with a fertilizer high in phosphorous. [the middle number in the
fertilizer name-- I usually end up with 10-60-10 because that's what
they carry at the local nursery.]

I give the whole garden a dose in the spring, but then I just
concentrate of ph & heavy mulching. I use all my grass clipping
green on my tomatoes and peppers. Then I side-dress my root crops
every couple weeks with the 10-60-10.

Bring some soil samples to your local Co-operative Extension [or
whatever the county agriculture people are called in your state] and
have it tested.


They've been growing for over 4
months now and they are pretty plants with bright red
stems, nice looking leaves. Can a radish be eaten months
after it's 30 day due date?


Probably pretty tough-- but it won't hurt you.

I've got some carrots growing but the carrots look like
they are still two months from maturing. The leaves are
growing upwards, are about 6 inches. The roots aren't
developing very much at the moment.

I've planted some cabbage but the cabbage doesn't seem
to be taking to well.


I never grew cabbage, but I wonder if that could be Phosphorous, too--
don't they have a long taproot?


The sandy soil is slowly turning into a better (not so sandy)
soil, I'm thinking it'll take another year though before it's fully
where it should be.

-snip-

There's been a garden on my garden site for 50 years. [with a couple
4-5 year breaks] I add a couple tons of organic matter every
year. It is amazing how much the sand can swallow.

Jim

I'm in central Florida and also have a sand garden. Jim, are you serious
about the ton of organic matter or was that just a way of saying "lots
an lots"? And if you really did mean a ton, how big a space is it?

I generally have pretty good luck in fall and spring if I add lots of
compost. I grow a variety of leafy greens, some beans, tomatoes and my
zucchini is doing well this year. Summer is just too hot to grow much (a
local friend has good luck with black eyed peas). I sometimes think that
the mustards will grow in beach sand.

David