When it comes to growing a garden in sandy soil, the options seem kinda limited, don’t they? But that’s where we go wrong. There are plenty of plants including flowering plants, herbs, veggies and even beans that thrive in sandy soil.
Sandy soil drains well, is easier to dig in, and warms up faster in spring as compared to clay soils, which means that plants start growing earlier in sandy soil. However, not all plants have adapted to this relatively uncommon soil because it does not hold to either water or nutrients for long.
So, if you are stuck with sandy soil for your garden, here are 5 plants that have made a home out of the sand soil:
Lavender
Who doesn’t love lavender? This beautiful and fragrant flowering plant originated in the dry, rocky hills of the Meditteranean basin and is not just tolerant of sandy soil but actually requires great drainage which is provided by sandy soils. This plant is popular among farmers as it brings in good money and cultivating lavender is a profitable business. If you planning to plant one (or ten!) in your garden, make sure the plant gets full sun and only enough water to establish the roots in the soil.
Rosemary
Another lover of sandy soil is the rosemary plant. This herb thrives in dry and sandy soil and never requires watering after it has established its roots. It is the perfect plant for late winter as that is when it blooms.
Mimosa
Mimosa or silk tree is a lovely pink flowering, fast-growing deciduous tree, one of the best growers in sandy soil. Only taking 5-7 years to mature, this shade tree is the perfect addition to your garden.
Potatoes
Yup! The delicious tuber can easily survive in sandy soil as they require salinity and porous and well-draining soil. The one struggle you could face here is that the soil has too much drainage so make sure the plants get enough water.
Beans
Beans tend to get diseased when kept in wet soil for too long, so in their case, sandy soil works best. Sandy soil is well drained and porous and not to mention slightly acidic in pH. All of these features make sandy soil the best soil for beans to grow in.
