sand ok to leave?

[wjcmpbll]

Hi. I was having a problem with fungus gnats so I added about an inch of sand to the top of my container vegetables (cucumber, broccoli, and tomatoes). It has helped somewhat but I'm wondering if it's ok to leave the sand or should I remove it? It makes it harder to tell when to water since I can't see the soil. Also, is it ok to water over (or through) the sand, or should I remove it to water and then replace it?

Thanks!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Sand is probably fine. I would have chosen mulch or compost.

Do the two knuckle test. Stick your finger into the container up to the second knuckle. If it's dry, water.

[StorageSmart2]

Hi. I was having a problem with fungus gnats so I added about an inch of sand to the top of my container vegetables (cucumber, broccoli, and tomatoes). It has helped somewhat but I'm wondering if it's ok to leave the sand or should I remove it? It makes it harder to tell when to water since I can't see the soil. Also, is it ok to water over (or through) the sand, or should I remove it to water and then replace it?

Thanks!

How tall are your seedlings? If the leaves are already developed and well above the sand then I would leave it. The water will drain right through into the soil.

If the sand is quite close to the bottom leaves or if the leaves aren't fully developed, I might pay close attention to how the plants are developing and then guage my reaction from there. I don't think the sand would cause any problem, but I haven't used it on seedlings before.

I wouldn't recommend removing and replacing the sand frequently, because the more that you scrape it off the more likely something will accidentally harm the plants. It's not really worth the risk, because the whole point of the sand was to save them.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Can't argue with anything said here.

Nice job folks!

HG

[wjcmpbll]

Thanks for the help, folks. They're not actually seedlings - they're potted plants about 2 months old and well-established. I guess I was afraid that over the course of the summer, watering them would force the sand down into the soil making it too... sandy? I'm slowly learning about gardening but not up to snuff with "soil types". Sounds ok to leave the sand though - it HAS helped (but not fixed) the fungus gnat issue. Still working on that.

Glad to know I can water through it. Thanks again!

[garden5]

If your plants are well established, I'd have to say that the sand should be alright. Also, I'm no soil expert, but I'd have to say that you are not going to get that much mixture between the layer of sand and your soil just from watering that you should worry about it.

[StorageSmart2]

Thanks for the help, folks. They're not actually seedlings - they're potted plants about 2 months old and well-established. I guess I was afraid that over the course of the summer, watering them would force the sand down into the soil making it too... sandy? I'm slowly learning about gardening but not up to snuff with "soil types". Sounds ok to leave the sand though - it HAS helped (but not fixed) the fungus gnat issue. Still working on that.

Glad to know I can water through it. Thanks again!

Try spraying the plants and sand with a garlic water mixture to kill off or discourage the fungus gnats. It might help out with any gnats that didn't get the hint when you sanded.