Sandy soils

• Very dry soil – even in winter or after periods of rain
• Rough or “gritty” appearance
• Plants wilting

Sand is an important mineral constituent of all good soils, along with clay and silt. But when it is the major constituent, the soil is called a sandy soil; sandy soils have a high proportion of sand and little or no clay. Also known as “light” soils, sandy soils drain very quickly after rain – even torrential downpours – or watering. Because water drains so quickly, and sandy soils hold and tend to contain very little humus or organic matter, it takes the majority of plant nutrients with it. This means that sandy soils tend to be infertile and low in plant nutrients.

It may be obvious that you have a light sandy soil, in that you can see particles of sand, and even stones, and it feels gritty when rubbed between the fingers. The soil always dries out quickly, especially in summer and during periods of warm weather.

How do you tell if you have a sandy soil? Take some in your hand.

• Sandy soils feel rough and gritty
• Hold a handful of soil and squeeze it firmly. A sandy soil won’t hold its shape or simply crumbles away

Sandy soils are easy to cultivate and work even after periods of very wet weather. They drain very quickly, so waterlogging is rarely a problem – unless the garden has a high water table. They warm up quickly in spring, which means you can start sowing earlier in the year.

Because they drain so well, and often contain very little in the way of organic matter, they dry out very quickly – especially during hot or windy weather and during warm summers. The lack of organic matter, and fast drainage, means they are low in plant nutrients, which are quickly washed out by rain or watering. Sandy soils are often very acidic, sometimes too acidic for some plants.

Unless you spend time and effort improving the soil with lots of bulky organic matter and/or on watering and feeding, choose plants that will grow well in dry and infertile soils. But even these may struggle while they’re establishing or during prolonged periods of hot, dry weather.

The following are particularly suitable for sandy soils.

Trees
Acer campestre, A. negundo, A. platanoides
Alnus cordata
Betula
Castanea sativa
Catalpa
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Cercis siliquastrum
Crataegus
Eucalyptus
Gleditsia
Koelreuteria paniculata
Laburnum
Liquidamber
Prunus
Quercus ilex
Robinia
Sorbus

Shrubs
Abelia
Abutilon
Amelanchier
Arbutus unedo
Argyrocytisus battandieri
Artemisia
Atriplex halimus
Ballota pseudodictamnus
Berberis
Brachyglottis
Buddleja
Callistemon
Caryopteris clandonensis
Ceanothus
Ceratostigma
Chaenomeles
Chamaerops humilis
Cistus
Colutea arborescens
Convolvulus cneorum
Cordyline
Cotoneaster
Cytisus
Elaeagnus
Escallonia
Euonymus
Forsythia
Fuchsia
Garrya elliptica
Gaultheria mucronata
Genista
Griselinia littoralis
Halimiocistus
Halimium
Hebe
Helianthemum
Hibiscus
Hippophae rhamnoides
Hypericum
Indigofera
Jasminum
Kerria japonica
Lavandula
Lavatera
Olearia
Osmanthus
Ozothamnus
Passiflora caerulea
Perovskia
Philadelphus
Pittosporum
Phlomis fruticosa
Phormium
Ribes
Romneya coulteri
Rosmarinus
Salvia officinalis
Sarcococca
Santolina
Spartium junceum
Spiraea
Symphoricarpos
Tamarix
Trachelospermum
Ulex europaeus
Viburnum
Wisteria
Yucca
Conifers
Araucaria araucana
Cedrus deodara
Cupressocyparis leylandii
Cupressus
Juniperus
Ginkgo biloba
Pinus
Taxus

Herbaceous perennials
Acanthus
Achillea
Agapanthus
Alstroemeria
Anaphalis
Anchusa
Anthemis
Armeria
Baptisia australis
Catananche caerulea
Centaurea
Centranthus
Coreopsis
Dianthus
Echinops
Erigeron
Eryngium
Gaura
Geranium
Gypsophila
Heliopsis
Hemerocallis
Iberis
Iris (bearded)
Inula
Kniphofia
Liatris spicata
Limonium
Linum
Malva
Nepeta
Oenothera
Onopordum acanthium
Origanum
Polemonium
Salvia
Sedum
Solidago
Stachys
Thymus
Veronica
Zauschneria