Planting in poor sandy soil
codym17
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
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codym17
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Please help! Planting Fruit in Sandy/Rocky soil alongside buildi
Comments (11)The reason I mentioned about the drainage, was that we had to dig down to the bottom of the foundation wall, replace the drainage tile there and then refill it with rocks to correct a water problem. Then we put a layer of dirt over it for looks. I wondered if that was what you might be encountering. Yes, it will probably settle back to what it had been eventually. I have also found that things don't grow well under a roof overhang with eaves troughs. It is too dry. It is meant to be dry. On the other hand, brambles seem to grow in most anything, though they will usually not produce much fruit in dry conditions. If you move out beyond the dripline of the roof, you might find better soil where you could plant them. Some of the canes could probably sprawl over into the dry area if it is sunny there. Northwoodswis...See Morewhat plants do you have in sandy soil? long post
Comments (13)Some plants that have done well for me in dry situations: They aren't very formal, but rugosa roses have a strong, sweet scent, beautiful foliage, and large red hips. They only bloom once, but I like them quite a bit. Flowers are single or double in shades of pink, magenta and white. They sucker some and have wicked thorns, but will grow in beach sand. Penstemon pinifolius is a relatively short plant with typical tubular penstemon flowers in early summer in shades of red, orange, and yellow and fine needle-like foliage. If you typically have good snow cover, it is worth trying Caryopteris which I have found works for me, rather to my surprise: small tidy shrub, late summer violet-blue flowers, and either silver or gold foliage. In the coldest areas it works more like a perennial, dying back to the ground each year. 'Arthur Simmonds' has trialled as the hardiest selection, though I haven't grown it. (available at Lazy S's Nursery via mail order.) I have 'Sunshine Blue' with gold foliage which experiences some dieback but comes back every year and either 'First Choice' or 'Dark Knight' which has survived just fine for several seasons. This does better than lavender for me which survives, but takes too long to recover to look good most seasons. I do replant lavender (small inexpensive plants) most years and it grows well as an annual since the insects and humming birds like it. The only western Agastache that has survived at least one winter for me has been A. rupestris. It is a short-lived perennial for me, lasting at most 4 or 5 years, but I really like the silvery foliage and August salmon and smoky lavender blooms, so I replace it when it hasn't survived a winter. You may find that some of the blue Agastaches work for you, but I haven't grown them since they have a reputation for self-seeding. I have had Weigela grow well on a completely unwatered slope, so it should be fine. However, the Cornus kousa that is in an unwatered dry spot doesn't look nearly as nice as the one in a more average setting, and the serviceberry that I planted in a dry spot died the second season, despite my hauling water to it all of its first season. Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler' is a long-blooming, bright red selection of a native vine that does fine without supplemental water in a well-drained bed. I have only had mine a couple of years, but I really like it. It should do fine being trimmed to its support, an iron trellis of 3/8" rod, if I decide it needs it. Daffodils should be fine if you are looking for spring bulbs. Plants that others have mentioned that have also done well for me in well-drained situations include bearded iris, flax, rose campion (though it self-seeds ferociously unless deadheaded), coreopsis (both lanceolata and verticillata), daylily, Baptisia, Liatris, Sedum, Semperivirens, Amsonia hubrichtii, Nepeta/catmint, Alyssum, and columbine....See MoreWhat to plant in sandy loam soil in Michigan
Comments (1)I grow a wide variety of plants in my sand, but it does require the input of lots of organic matter. Soils along the west side of Michigan vary greatly from Lake Michigan Beach sand to dense clay and much of everything else in between. Many people around here grow corn, alfalfa, timothy, soybeans, asparagus, cucumbers, squash, etc. You would only be limited by what you want ot grow....See MorePlanting in Sandy Soil
Comments (4)Do you mean both honey bees and bumblebees? How about wasps and hornets? The latter two are no problem with Salvias. If your wife has a tolerance of one kind of bee, small blue flowers attract honey bees, and bumblebees prefer larger flowers, but will work the smaller ones as well. Use compost and coffee grounds to build up humus in your sandy soil. This will help with heat stress during the summer. Hardwood bark mulch does a great job holding in moisture, and breaks down into just the right kind of humus for Salvias....See Morezone4fruit__WI__franktank232
9 years agocodym17
9 years agogonebananas_gw
9 years agoKonrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
9 years agoBahamaDan Zone 12b Subtropics
9 years agocodym17
9 years agoRedSun (Zone 6, NJ)
9 years agogonebananas_gw
9 years agoRedSun (Zone 6, NJ)
9 years ago
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