A question from a fellow grower:
Can you grow in sandy dirt?
I no sandy soil is bad, but there is still dirt on top like 1 1/2 feet deep then sand is it useable?
1.5 feet. You are in great shape. I wouldn’t worry about that. Please let us know how it turns out. Sand is not altogether bad; Some people clone in it. Not the best medium, but not totally useless either…
A sandy loam is recommended for many vegetables. Why not Pot?
I was at an animal shelter out in the desert, where I wanted to try an Auto outside grow, but the work was too much for Granny. Now I am in a small resort town, and there are empty, desert building lots all around me. When my W.W. autos come in the mail. a couple will go outside. I can water them in the mornings, when I walk with my dogs. I seems to me that growing in what I will be growing in - no soil whatsoever, just sand and rocks (which will contain the trace elements needed) - would be like growing in a flood and drain hydro system, no?
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I forgot - it is the PERFECT time to attempt this here, as the average lows are in the low 60’s. So, I have time to do this before the dire Summer heat sets in.
I would think you need a little something to absorb and hold the water at the roots, for a little while anyway. You could add coco core to the sand and rock mix. Coco is dirt cheap, literally, lol, as cheap or cheaper than most commercial off the shelf “moisture control” soil mixes by volume. If you had a constant drip, mist or spary – creating more of a “nutrient film technique” you could use a sand and rock mix, kinda like the way you can use lava rock in DWC net pots. If it won’t really hold much water itself then it needs a constant supply of moisture like in a constant or short interval periodic drip, mist or spray or in an aerated submersion like DWC. If you get your hands on some coco core make sure it is pre-washed or be prepared to flush it with tons of water after you fluff it up with water. Coconut core of course comes from coconuts that usually grow near the ocean so the fiber is often filled with salt if not pre-washed. Coco also seems to have a little bit of a natural pest inhibitor in it. People say they have far less fungus gnats than soil and it seems to be a bit mold and fungus resistant as well.
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Great suggestions.
Cheers,
Jodie
I have grown with great results in sandy soil.Many many years ago in the 70s we use to find a good secluded creek ,till the sand a little and broadcast seed.Back then seed was a wast product of our scores from the previous winter.Although we started with a four finger bag of seeds no telling how many.We would end up with a hedge like crop 4 ft. wide and 50 ft.long.The numbers of plants was so high we didn’t bother to count.We would spend hours upon hours topping in the moonlight.Back then the science of growing was not near as advanced as it is today to say the least.All we had was Mexican Sativa.The main stalks would be as large as a baseball bat and 8 to 10 ft. tall.
It sounds like your talking about growing by the beach,so I would no nothing as to that respect,we were in OKlahoma where we have mostly red dirt,which make it impossible to get a good harvest without the proper medium for ideal growth.GOOD LUCK
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