What Are You Planting Today, This Week, This Month?

[Zeedman]

Planted out some old bush beans seed, 2 different lettuces and radishes. Radishes don’t do well in my sand. Out of 20-30 plants lucky to get 5-6 worth eating. 2 things all people-but me-can grow are radishes and zucchini.

@seedcorn , is that because they bolt? Have you ever tried daikon radishes? If your sand has any depth to it, you might have great luck with those... it just makes it easier to dig the long roots out without breaking. The larger "winter" radishes (like Black Spanish) have much longer tap roots too.

 

[ducks4you]

Speaking of radishes...

All the Radishes in the World, From Tiny to Giant

Radishes are crisp and crunchy root vegetables. Depending on the type, they are mild, peppery, or spicy. They are mostly eaten fresh or pickled.

www.thespruceeats.com

 

[flowerbug]

Planted out some old bush beans seed, 2 different lettuces and radishes. Radishes don’t do well in my sand. Out of 20-30 plants lucky to get 5-6 worth eating. 2 things all people-but me-can grow are radishes and zucchini.

some day you will discover the miracle of clay. just a little bit. helps in so many ways. just try a few lbs in a spot you want to experiment with. really.

 

[seedcorn]

Grew up in gumbo which is clay based. I’ll keep my sand....

 

[seedcorn]

@seedcorn , is that because they bolt? Have you ever tried daikon radishes? If your sand has any depth to it, you might have great luck with those... it just makes it easier to dig the long roots out without breaking. The larger "winter" radishes (like Black Spanish) have much longer tap roots too.

Combination of bolting and the bulb just not developing much. Those that do are fire.

 

[flowerbug]

Grew up in gumbo which is clay based. I’ll keep my sand....

i didn't say turn it into primarily clay based, but as an amendment just a little clay will make a large difference in the capacity of it to hold nutrients and moisture.

it is funny at how many people resist this idea and twitch at it, but if you study garden soils you'll find out that the best garden soils have some component of clay to them along with sand and decomposed organic materials.

by not having any clay that lets both moisture and nutrients leach away, the little bit of added clay is well worth the minor effort of adding it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What is the best soil for growing? Loam. What is loam? According to Webster, a soil consisting of a friable mixture of varying proportions of clay, silt, and sand.

The clay retains certain nutrients, helps keep them from leaching out like they do in pure sand. Sand aids drainage. Add some humus and you have a soil that can grow stuff. Not sure what the benefit of silt is, probably texture.

When I filled my raised beds I used "garden soil". What that amounts to down here is a mixture of sand, compost, and some organic material (shredded bark). When I did a soils analysis much nutrient content was pretty low. So I got some pure clay from a place that sells pottery clay and mixed it in. Now those nutrient values are high. It was a pain to mix it in, it was a dry powder and took a few turnings to get it mixed so it did not clump, still working some on that. But my soils tests results are much better. It still drains really well so I have to water a lot.

 

[ducks4you]

I was harvesting French Breakfast radishes in August last year. Only the really big ones were hot.
How can we help you with your garden soil?
Some sand can really help, like in growing carrots.

 

[ducks4you]

I have, in my own experimental way, been developing some 2-3yo compost which turns into a really rich soil. Anything I plant in it grows well.
Guess if I had more time and ambition I might develop a bed of it and sell it. I would probably have to cover it to kill any seeds, too.

 

[seedcorn]

I understand clays, sands, loams and the different versions. In raised beds, I want something to hold moisture. But my sand base with high organic matter, I can do things that clay ground gardens can only dream of. Yes, you treat it different-mulch is essential. As @Ridgerunner is finding there is no easy way to add clay. Clay will clump. Clay is also excellent at grabbing moisture/nutrients and NOT giving them up. The idea is to have available nutrients for the plant. (Clay should be used for pottery. IMO) What some refer to as clay is actually a clay based organic soil. Lost in this conversation is how the water table also affects what type of mix you want. Organic matter is the engine that moves the car. Sand/gravel are the body you put around the engine. Both have great qualities and both have problems. Grew up on clay based, give me sand based.