What Is Sharp Sand For Gardening?

You’ll run into a ton of questions when you start gardening. What is sharp sand for gardening is just one of them. Knowing your soil and how to improve it will significantly benefit whatever you plant!

You may think that your regular garden soil is good enough for planting, but you might need to change it a little to grow the crops you desire. If you have hard, clay-like ground, you’ll definitely have to add other sand to loosen it up.

In this article, I share what you need to know about sharp sand for gardening. This miracle-like sand mix can help your garden better!

What Is Sharp Sand For Gardening?

Sharp sand is grainy and coarse. It’s made from crushed granite, sandstone, or quartz and works excellent for gardening! When sharp sand is mixed, it can have bigger and smaller grains. 

If you use sharp sand when gardening, you’ll greatly improve your soil’s drainage. Whether you use it in a garden bed or as a potting mix, sharp sand will allow water to drain more efficiently and ensure that your plant roots stay healthy! 

Note: Don’t confuse sharp sand with the sandbox or beach sand. Both these have finer particles and fewer granier edges. Using this type of sand will negatively impact your garden because they harden when coming into contact with water.

The Benefits Of Using Sharp Sand For Gardening

Your garden will reap a few benefits when you mix sharp sand into the ground. I recommend adding sharp sand to any type of soil that doesn’t drain well. Here are some of its benefits:

Benefits For Soil

Sharp sand breaks down hard-to-penetrate soil by creating channels through it where excess water can drain. 

This drainage network prevents the plant roots from becoming deoxygenated, which will lead to rot and ultimately their death. 

Benefits For Your Lawn

If your grass struggles to grow as you wish it could, you should consider adding sharp sand in-between the grasses. 

You can also use it for breathing new life into an old or uneven lawn.

Benefits For Composting

Sharp sand makes a great addition to compost! When you compost, you need to create matter that doesn’t rot, and the draining power of sharp sand ensures that your mix gets enough airflow to ensure that it stays healthy.

Benefits For Planting

When you’re getting your seedling stash ready for spring, you can use sharp sand to prevent overwatering. Sharp sand will also prevent common plant diseases like fungal infections. 

Read more about What Is Pumice Used For When Gardening And 3 Interesting And Amazing Ways To Use It

Why Do Plants Need Sharp Sand?

Plants need oxygen and adequate drainage to thrive. If the soil they’re in doesn’t drain as it should, their roots will lose oxygen because of the excess water and start rotting. Ultimately, the plants will die. 

When you mix sharp sand with your ordinary soil, the grainy and coarse texture creates air pockets to ensure enough airflow and good drainage for your plants. This way, they won’t get overwatered and will reach their optimal growth!

When To Use Sharp Sand For Gardening

Planting Seeds: The loose structure of sharp sand is great for germinating seeds and growing root cuttings.

Potting Mix: Normal garden soil can quickly reach a brick-like consistency making it terrible for potting. Your plant roots will suffocate and die. One part sharp sand to two parts garden soil works great for most plants, while succulents prefer a 50-50 mix. 

Loosening Soil: When you have garden soil that gets compact when wet, you should loosen it up by adding sharp sand. Start by spreading sharp sand over the surface you’d like to cover and dig into about 10 inches of soil. This might be challenging, but it will significantly improve your soil quality.

The Best Substitute for Sharp Sand When Gardening

If you can’t get enough sharp sand to create the garden of your dreams, you can substitute it with builder’s sand. 

Builder’s sand is inexpensive large-grained sand that typically gets used for building and construction work. It’s a bit less coarse than sharp sand. You can find builder’s sand practically anywhere, especially in hardware and gardening stores. There’s little chance of ever running out of a supply.

The Benefits of Builder’s Sand

Builder’s sand has the same type of benefits that sharp sand has. Here they are:

• Builder’s sand gives your soil mix proper drainage with helping with water movement and air ventilation. 
• Seeds prefer to vegetate in a light-medium with good drainage, and the builder’s sand provides just this!
• During cold seasons, you can store root vegetables in the builder’s sand for up to 6 months. 

Builder’s sand is a multi-purpose product that’s inexpensive and widely available. You can’t go wrong with it!

To Sum It Up

Sharp sand works great for gardening, and what you plant will have more success when you use it. It’s easy to mix sharp sand into your garden beds or create a potting mix with it. If you have trouble getting enough sharp sand, you can ask your local gardening store for builder’s sand. This sand is an excellent substitute for sharp sand!

I hope you found the information in this article helpful. If you want a successful garden, you need to start with the right soil.

If you have any more questions about using sharp sand for gardening, ask them in the comments or share some gardening soil tips you have!