[Community_garden] How/whether to prevent leaching into sandy soil

[Mike McGrath]

In one sense you are lucky--sandy soil can be improved with the addition of 
compost. Clay soil remains clay soil.
    No liner; you have good drainage; embrace it!
    Have the soil tested and add lots of organic matter in the Spring.

                                    Good luck!
                                                            ---Mike McG

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Parkinson" <parkidavid at gmail.com>
To: <community_garden at list.communitygarden.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 3:02 PM
Subject: [Community_garden] How/whether to prevent leaching into sandy soil


> Hello all:
>
> Here in Powell River, we are looking at starting a small demonstration
> garden in a currently vacant lot behind a storefront. Without knowing much
> about the makeup of the soil, I can see that it is pretty poor-quality 
> sandy
> stuff. Up here, it rains a lot during the winter, so we're worried that 
> even
> if we build up the soil much of the good stuff will leach out during the
> rainy weather an disappear into the porous sandy stuff beneath.
>
> Should we be thinking about putting down a lining before building beds? If
> so, what's the best thing to use? It would worry me to use something
> waterproof, since that might cause the soil to become waterlogged. Is 
> there
> anything that will slow down leaching without making an impervious 
> barrier?
>
> Any ideas or pointers welcome. Thanks!!
>
> -- 
> David Parkinson
> Powell River, BC
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