I'm new to gardening and when I was advised to amend my heavy clay soil, I ended up buying regular sand instead of pumice. I mixed it with perlite and composted cow manure in equal parts, plus two parts evergreen soil for planting some evergreens. Now, I've been told that using the wrong type of sand could harm my plants. Is this something to worry about? I've mixed it into the whole bed, and I'm really concerned about my evergreens dying. Any suggestions on what I should do?
2 Answers
Yeah, using regular sand isn't the best, but it shouldn't be the end of your evergreens! The compaction might be a concern if you added a lot, but with good management, they should still thrive. Just ensure they have good drainage and you might want to consider aerating next time.
Don't sweat it! Having some sand in your soil mix isn't a disaster. It's unlikely to kill your plants; they might actually be just fine. Just keep an eye on them and make sure they're getting enough water, especially if the mix is a bit heavy.