On 3/13/2009 3:08 PM, Paul O. wrote:
I live in an area where if not inhabitated would be desert. Our "soil" is
sand. I have a small spot I want to do some planting in and am going to dig
that area out. I want to fill it back up with something as close to actual
soil as I can get. What is best, possibly a mixture of soil admendment and
potting soil that can be bought at the home improvement centers. I want to
plant maybe a couple of ornamental grasses and flowers. Thanks for your
input.


In a reply, you describe a plot that is about 5.6 square feet. Get a
large bag (NOT a compressed bale, which is too much) of peat moss and
stir it thoroughly into the sandy soil that you already have. Buy the
smallest boxes or bags you can find of blood meal and bone meal; stir
those thoroughly into your soil. Broadcast over the soil enough gypsum
to create a 1/4 inch layer; stir that in. (Desert soils often contain
salts; gypsum will help leach the salts away.) ALL STIRRING should be
to a depth of at least 2 feet.

Plant. Stand back. Things will grow very quickly.

One thing you don't want to do is create a pit with one kind of soil
where the surrounding soil is entirely different. The roots of some
plants might resist crossing the interface. When summer gets really
hot, those plants will die because their roots are too shallow.
Instead, you want to improve the sandy soil but leave it sandy. Then
roots will grow into the adjacent unimproved sandy soil.

The limiting factors in your garden will be water and heat. Peat moss
will help the soil retain some water, but you will have to still water
frequently. Many plants cannot take the heat of summer in the desert.
Check with a local nursery to find out what plants are suitable for your
climate.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/.

Don't ask "Why is there road rage?" Instead, ask
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