How good is creek or river sand for the garden?

[Bobberman]

I live near a creek and the sand I get there seems rich in top soil and tiny parts of leaves mixed. The creek does have some sulfur from old mines. I expect alot of weed seeds in the mix but it should be great for a garden or compost. The banks ae loaded with it! Its 2 feet deep in places with no stones. Does anyone use it much?

[Bobberman]

Because the sand is wet for long periods of time would that kill most of the weed seeds in it?

[soil]

Because the sand is wet for long periods of time would that kill most of the weed seeds in it?

some seeds maybe, but there are seeds that have adapted to just about every condition nature can throw out.

don't worry about weeds as much, it turns most of them are actually useful plants.

if you would like to try the sand, which could be fine or not fine depending on what is upstream( some people dump horrible things into waterways) simply mix a gallon or so of soil containing the sand and put a cheap extra plant in there. take note of any ill or beneficial effects, its as simple as that.

[gumbo2176]

A lot of folks use river sand from the Mississippi River as fill for their yards. Much of New Orleans is built on reclaimed swamp land and some parts still suffer from some soil subsidence so the occasional load of river sand is put down to keep things where they should be as far as yards and gardens are concerned.

Before the levees were built in many places, it would flood in the spring during the rivers high stages. Now that those areas are leveed and not prone to flooding, it is some of the best farmland in these parts. Lower St. Bernard and Plaquemine Parish produce some of the best seasonal vegetables and citrus from such farmland. Many of the old plantation houses were built along the river, and their main crops were sugar cane and/or cotton, with the river being the avenue to get it to market.

[ozark_rocks]

I've been adding river sand and leaf mould to my garden for a few years now.Part of my garden is very heavy in clay, and this mix is helping lighten up the soil. Yes I've added some new weeds too, but I had weeds before.


Also last year I grew carrots, that actually looked like carrots in this mix. I dug a ditch in the garden and filled it for my carrots.Before the carrot would grow, hit a rock and make a new root. They came out looking like hands, and mishapped animals. In the sand, they grew strait down and looked like carrots.

[Bobberman]

I was trying to find out more about sand for the garden using the search engine and this post of mine appeared. What a suurprise!

[lakngulf]

I was trying to find out more about sand for the garden using the search engine and this post of mine appeared. What a suurprise!

I have had that happen on some issues. I see something worded exactly the way I have the issue. And then see that it is my previous post.

[Bobberman]

Hey this forum puts us in the worlds eye! I feel more important now like a celeberity!

[TheWaterbug]

How about Quikrete Sand from Home Depot?

It's only $2.24 per 50 lb. bag. I'll spend more than than in extra gas just driving it home!

Or where are other good places to buy sand in Los Angeles?

[jal_ut]

Bobberman, I would not hesitate to use that sand.

TheWaterbug, that bagged sand is likely screened and possibly washed too. I don't think it will make a good growing medium without the addition of amendments. It is a clean sand meant for construction. Do you know of a concrete or sand and gravel company near your location? I can get inexpensive sand from the local concrete company at their gravel pit. It is as nature deposited it and it has not been washed. Even that needs a good addition of manure or compost to give it some fertility. Any organic matter that may have been deposited with it many, many, years ago has long since completely decomposed. This pit sand has a certain amount of clay in it too. Makes a good growing medium with some amendments.

[Bobberman]

When some says sand its the same as saying money! There are many kinds! Sand helped build America and helped feed America right?

[Taiji]

Out here in the west, our soils are generally alkaline. So, we usually add gypsum to acidify a little. (And of course, lots of organic matter too) Gypsum has sulfur in it, so it works for me! My soil here is actually really sandy, so the other day I went to another location and got some clay to add!
The only thing I might think about would be possible other things in the sand from mining residue besides sulfur. I don't know what those things might be...arsenic...? I don't know, maybe you should have the creek sand/water tested for contaminants.

[Bobberman]

Hey this forum puts us in the worlds eye! I feel more important now like a celeberity!

Just checking some of my old post from several years ago. Its fun to look back!

[Gary350]

35 years ago I got several pickup truck loads of sand at the river. I dug a ditch in the garden and filled it with sand then I planted a row of water melons 1 seed every 12" for 80 feet. That was my very first GOOD water melon crop. The garden had full sun from 7am to 8pm every day. I had about 400 water melons that year.

I planted sweet bell peppers in holes full of river sand and the plants did many times better than before. Plants were 6 feet tall and the bell peppers were 4 1/2" diameter with about 50 peppers per plant. I had bushel baskets of bell peppers for the farmers market.

I tried sand on other crops but it did not seem to help them. Sand is better for certain plants.