Project Spring 2014

[Farhan Ahmed]

@Mi Khurram. Indeed an inspiring garden. I remember having seen some more photos of the same place.
I am not sure which exact sand it is.

@Aykhan. Sir i got it from construction material vendor located close to Mardan. I am not sure of the origin. However it definitely appears very similar to Karachi sea sand which i am quite familiar with. But i doubt the local vendor would have made such a tedious effort of importing it from such far especially when most of the construction here is brick work.
I am attaching a close up picture of the specimen. Costed Rs.200 per 40 Kg Bag.

Though i am satisfied up till now with the composition of the mixture, yet for costlier seeds i would be adding more compost/peat/coir. The pots are in partial sun. As its mostly sand i guess it would not be able to bear full sun for entire day, so either partial sun with two time watering or addition of little more organic matter in my opinion.

[Tahir Khan]

I would not go for sand if i want to germinate seeds..Reason, because sand does not dry out quickly and the chances of root rot increases in humid weather if watering is not checked upon.

I use sand in my soil mixes as it helps to retain water, less botheration of watering again and again.....Just have to be careful and watch out for wet or normal weather. water should considerably be reduced in monsoon and winters.

For coarse sand, you can try sifting the sand with a sieve. larger particles of sand will be left behind during the sift that you can use as your desire. you can always request the construction material vendors for coarse sand they can arrange and pre-order it from the quarry.

Always wash the construction sand in a bucket of water until you get clear water....This eliminates the salts and other chemicals in the sand which can be bad for the plants (If it is a small operation limited to some containers, otherwise if using in beds the salts will seep away gradually)

I don't recommend beach sand because of its high mineral contents especially salts.

[Tahir Khan]

Farhan bhai, the sand in the picture is perfect but the vendor has overcharged a bit...if you are using it for seed germination keep a check on watering only mist when the sand feels dry.

[Farhan Ahmed]

My observation is that sand drains excess water and just keep itself moist. However that is if sunshine is absent/less. As it gets sun it dries out very quickly.

[Tahir Khan]

My observation is that sand drains excess water and just keep itself moist. However that is if sunshine is absent/less. As it gets sun it dries out very quickly.

Correctamundo.

[aykhan]

Sand in pots should work well since with regular Bhal the water rarely reaches the depths of the pots. With sand I am seeing it absorbed quickly to the bottom. The sandy mixes I have in pots show no water on top despite continuous rains while the Bhal only pots have water standing.

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

Tahir Khan » September 10th, 2013, 9:19 pm

I would not go for sand if i want to germinate seeds..Reason, because sand does not dry out quickly and the chances of root rot increases in humid weather if watering is not checked upon.

I use sand in my soil mixes as it helps to retain water, less botheration of watering again and again.....Just have to be careful and watch out for wet or normal weather. water should considerably be reduced in monsoon and winters.

I totally dis agree, will discuss in detail later.
Arif

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

My observation is that sand drains excess water and just keep itself moist. However that is if sunshine is absent/less. As it gets sun it dries out very quickly.

Correctamundo.

Tahir are you not contradicting your self.
Arif

[Tahir Khan]

My observation is that sand drains excess water and just keep itself moist. However that is if sunshine is absent/less. As it gets sun it dries out very quickly.

Correctamundo.

Tahir are you not contradicting your self.
Arif

Sir, i only confirmed what Farhan bhai observed about sand in a specific weather condition, I usually grow cacti and succulents and now for a few years i also indulge in growing conventional annuals as well. i will explain what i am trying to communicate.

Sand will kill your plants and seedlings if not used properly...Builders sand that is commonly available is the preferred medium for plants that are sensitive to water. Cacti will rot if water stands in the medium for too long..... so i use sand to increase drainage and aeration... same applies for conventional plants ....any plant (except for those with the liking of boggy environment...Preferring wet feet) will rot in a matter of days if not checked upon.(Weather is an important factor)

Seeds are also sensitive to excess watering....So the point to be noted is to keep a check on watering and water the plants according to weather and if you are not sure if the soil is dry or wet poke a finger in the soil to feel the moisture level.

[Farhan Ahmed]

Celosia, Gomphrena, cosmos double click, toothe ache, amberboa and Hollyhock showed same result of germination in single day in above mentioned mixture. I am Satisfied with germination results, but maybe as important as germination is how newly emerged seedlings will behave in said mixture as regards to damping off, growth and survival. Fingers crossed, going good till now.

Reason for quick germination could be heated environment(germination matt like), as temperatures are already high and sand gets heated up quickly. It is important to note that germination is also directly proportional to temperatures. higher the temperature, quicker will be germination but that is only to certain high temperatures (approx 35 C) above which most species will not germinate especially cold season annuals.

Secondly absolutely no compaction of soil as each particle is separate. Thereby seed has to put in less effort to sprout.

Water retention of the said mixture has been reasonable also.

I must mention that above mixture of 80-90 % coarse sand was chosen purely because of economical considerations keeping in mind factors such as sterility, porosity, drainage and no compaction. Why go for expensive seed sowing media when we can benefit from something as cheap as sand alone.