Quote:

---

GoOnThen said:
You actually need course sand like river sand most beach sand is to fine
I just use a good fast draining potting mix plus some perlite if Im planting in pots

Cheers
Got

---

Quote:

---

jingus said:

I am a minimalist, and find it rediculous to buy something that you know came from the earth in the first place

---

Not trying to be a dick, but just trying to provoke thought... by that logic, is it not ridiculous to pay for anything? Everything save for a few meteorites and moon rocks is from this earth. You pay for produce in the grocery store, no?

In Florida, the sand on many beaches is "mined" offshore and dumped on the beaches for the tourism industry. That costs money. In your local home improvement store, that bag of sand was mined, bagged, and transported using fossil fuels to a store with expenses like employees/rent/overhead.

I know what you mean, but I also know that nothing comes for free

Quote:

---

I'm just curious as to the best sand to perlite ratio, here.  and more importantly, how to tell what kind of sand I find may be, and how to compensate for whatever properties in the sand i find.

---

Quote:

---

karode13 said:

Quote:

---

I'm just curious as to the best sand to perlite ratio, here.  and more importantly, how to tell what kind of sand I find may be, and how to compensate for whatever properties in the sand i find.

---

Simply put, there is none.


If you use a fine sand it will compact like kadakuda said and adding perlite is just defeating the purpose of adding sand. You're better off just using perlite.


In horticulture the practice is to use a coarse grade of sand, between .25mm-2mm. The sand is angular in shape and this allows air pockets between the sand that facilitates rapid drainage, even when wet. Fine sand on the other hand is smaller in size and is usually round in appearance. When these rounded particles get wet they compact and no air pockets remain which if used in a soil mix will just smother the roots and problems will arise.



If you can source a coarse grade of sand that drains rapidly when watered and doesn't compact then you can use it. But before you do make sure to wash it to leach out any built up salts and try to remove as much of the fine silt particles as you can.




Sand where I'm from is about $3Au for a 40kg bag and it lasts for ages..If you choose to use a fine sand in your mixes you're pushing shit up a hill to put it bluntly. Go with a coarse grade sand.

---