Best Trees for Sandy Soil?
spafrica2003
11 years ago
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years agoRelated Discussions
small tree choices for sandy soil in full sun?
Comments (12)Sounds like your dry, sandy soil will be the primary limiting factor. A magnolia would probably not be a very good choice in dry soil. American smoketree will tolerate dry soil, but keep in mind that in time it will have a tendency to send up suckers from the root system (may not be a problem if it is surrounded by lawn); it may also be hard to find. Redbud will probably be OK, although it prefers less sandy soil and higher pH. A crabapple would be fine, and there are many varieties to choose from  look for one grown "own root" to avoid suckering from the rootstock. Blue beech is probably OK, but may need extra watering during establishment. Shantung maple is a nice tree, but you probably wonÂt be able to find ÂFire Dragon locally, and even finding the straight species is difficult. If you ask your local nurseries for it, they will probably suggest ÂNorwegian Sunset or ÂPacific Sunset which are both Norway x shantung hybrids  these may be too large at maturity for your location. I agree with basic that Korean maple is a beautiful tree, but it wonÂt be very happy in dry soil. You may want to consider one of the tree lilacs  ÂIvory SilkÂ, ÂChina SnowÂ, or ÂBeijing Gold  I think ÂChina Snow has the best bark color of the 3  they will also need extra watering during establishment. Serviceberry does reasonably well in sandy soil, and a few varieties are available in "tree form" (single stem)....See MoreGrowing trees on sandy soil
Comments (11)Infertility and drought are indeed two common reasons why sandy soils ain't so great and claylike ones not that bad. Of course, it depends on what you are trying to grow. Trees are not able to utilize high nutrient levels in the same manner as field crops so it is just as well to give most of the manure to the vegetables. And if a soil test showed a need for a nutrient such as nitrogen and it was known the manure product supplied that in the needed amount then it would be good to put that on the trees for that reason (and assuming there was not some drawback, like high salt content). All trees have surface roots, those on deep sandy soils or other dry soils may also have deep roots. The main factor is drought driving these down in search of moisture, outside of dry climates it's usual for nearly all roots to be near the surface, where the air is. Even tap-rooted trees will be seen to have most of the fully developed, active roots near the surface, with the tap root and other anchoring roots being different-looking....See Moretrees for sandy, often moist soils
Comments (1)i would contact my soil conservation district .. in the white pages under US GVMT .... they most likely sell bulk stock for such ... at appropriate planting times ..... natives and plants for your area ... also plants for wildlife .. good luck ken...See Moresandy soil??? what is my best option?
Comments (3)I'm not sure what the question is. Are you asking how to get the soil to be lighter in texture? The answer is compost, a lot of compost over time. If it's more clay than sand, be careful not to dig it when it's wet, as it may set up like concrete and make hard clods and chunks. Dig in a couple inches of compost before planting. Use mulches that will decompose rapidly to add additional organic matter during the growing season - grass clippings, leaves, shredded yard waste or wood chips....See Moreaquilachrysaetos
11 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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11 years agoRosemary Ventittelli
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6 years ago
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