Garden Plan For Sandy Soils

The key to success in sandy soil is less frequent and deeper watering, using slow release fertilizers to reduce the amount of fertilizer run off and adding as much organic matter as possible

Your sandy soil garden might be difficult at times, but do not despair! Using these plants for sandy soils you can create a beautiful extended-bloom garden. The key to success in your sandy soil garden is to understand the properties of this soil type and to choose plants that have adapted to thrive there.

Plant List for Sandy Soils

In general, perennials that prefer sandy soils are happy being on the drier side and function well with little nutrients – a great recipe for a lower maintenance garden!

  Understanding Sandy Soil Properties

Soil plays a critical role in determining what plants will grow and thrive, or what plants will struggle and die. Understanding the type of soil you have in your garden is important to help choose what will succeed there.

In general, soil is made up of a percent of each clay, sand, and silt. Clay is the smallest soil particle while sand is the largest, with silt finding the happy medium in between. So what does it mean if you’ve determined that your soil is dominated by sand?

  Because sand is the largest soil particle it means that water can move through the large pore spaces rapidly.

  A sandy soil also has so much air in it that microbes consume organic matter very quickly.

  Because sandy soils usually contain very little clay or organic matter, they don't have much of a crumb structure.

  The soil particles don't stick together, even when they're wet.

  This fast drainage is an advantage for growing plants that like to be dry. However, sandy soils are typically low in nutrients. This is because the large pore space and fast drainage washes out any available nutrients.

  Sandy soils also warm up and cool down relatively quickly from the air temperature changes, meaning growth in the spring will start quickly but cool nights in the autumn will make the perennials go into dormancy earlier as well.

  How To Amend Sandy Soils

Even very poor soil can be dramatically improved, and your efforts will be well rewarded. With their roots in healthy soil, your plants will be more vigorous and more productive.

  Work in 3 to 4 inches of organic matter such as well-rotted manure or finished compost.

  Mulch around your plants with leaves, wood chips, bark, hay or straw. Mulch retains moisture and cools the soil.

  Add at least 2 inches of organic matter each year.

  Sandy Soil Plant Catalog

The table below has 26 plants that are tolerant of sandy soils. The list includes both full sun and shade tolerant plants, flowers, grasses and ferns. This is only a partial list but includes plants that are commonly found at your local native plant nursery.

Bloom	Common Name	Scientific Name	Color	Height	Light	Soil	Moisture
EARLY	Arrow-Leaved Violet	Viola sagittata	Blue	6-9"		C,L, S	M
	Bishop's Cap	Mitella diphylla	White	1'		C,L,S	M,Mo
	Columbine	Aquilegia canadensis	Red,Yellow	1-3'		L,S	D,M
	Eastern Star Sedge	Carex radiata	Green	1-2'		L,S	M,Mo
	Golden Alexanders	Actaea alba	Yellow	1-2'		C,L,S	M,Mo,W
	Lupine	Lupinus perennis	Blue	1-2"		S	D
MID	Broad-Leaved Penstemon	Penstemon ovatus	Purple	2'		S,R	D,M
	Hay Scented Fern	Dennstaedtia punctilobula	Green	1-2'		C,L,S	D,M
	Leadplant	Amorpha canescens	Purple	2-3'		L,S	D,M
	Smooth Penstemon	Penstemon digitalis	White	2-3'		C,L,S	M,Mo
	Bluejoint Grass	Calamagrostis canadensis	Straw	4'		C,L,S	M,Mo,W
	Common Milkweed	Asclepias syriaca	Lavender,Pink	2-4'		C,L,S	D,M
	Scarlet Beebalm	Monarda didyma	Red	3-5'		C,L,S	M,Mo
	Black-Eyed Susan	Rudbeckia hirta	Yellow	1-3'		C,L,S	D,M,Mo
MID-LATE	Great St. John's Wort	Hypericum pyramidatum	Yellow	6'		C,L,S, R	M,Mo
	New Jersey Tea	Ceanothus americanus	White	2-3'		L,S	D,M
	Bergamot	Monarda fistulosa	Lavender	2-5'		C,L,S	D,M,Mo
	Brown-Eyed Susan	Rudbeckia triloba	Yellow	2-5'		L,S	M,Mo
	Cup Plant	Silphium perfoliatum	Yellow	5-10'		C,L,S	M,Mo,W
	Lavender Hyssop	Agastache foeniculum	Lavender	3-4'		L,S	D,M
	Purple Coneflower	Echinacea purpurea	Lavender	3-4'		C,L.S	D,M
LATE	Heart-Leaved Aster	Eurybia cordifolius	Blue	2-3'		C,L,S	D,M
	Tall Ironweed	Vernonia altissima	Purple,Pine	5-8'		C,L,S	Mo,W
	Tall Joe Pye Weed	Eupatorium fistulosum	Lavender,Pink	5-8'		C,L,S	M,Mo
	Zigzag Goldenrod	Solidago flexicaulis	Yellow	5-8'		C,L,S	D,M
	Calico Aster	Eurybia lateriflorum	White	2-3'		C,L,S	D,M

SOIL:     L = Loam      C = Clay      S = Sandy      R = Rocky
MOISTURE:  D = Dry      M = Medium      Mo = Moist      W = Wet