About The Garden Dilemma: Sand vs Topsoil

Why Adding Sand to Your Garden Soil Might Be a Big Mistake

Ever wondered why your garden or lawn isn’t draining well? You might have heard the tip to mix sand into the soil to improve drainage. But before you grab your roto-tiller, let’s break down why this advice could backfire, big time.

The Sand vs. Topsoil Experiment

Imagine you have two buckets: one filled with sand and one with topsoil, each with holes in the bottom. Pour a few gallons of water into each bucket and watch what happens. The water will flow through the sand much faster. That’s because sand has larger pore spaces between its grains, making it easier for water to pass through. This quick drainage is why modern golf courses use pure sand for their greens. Surprisingly, there’s no actual topsoil in those greens—just meticulously constructed layers of sand to manage water and resist compaction.

The Garden Dilemma: Poor Drainage

So, what if your garden or lawn isn’t draining well? Would mixing sand into the soil help? You might think so, but the answer is a resounding NO. In fact, it could make your drainage problems even worse.

The Science of Soil Physics

Here’s why adding sand to poor-draining soil is a bad idea. Soil particles are much finer than sand particles. When you mix the two, the fine soil particles fill in the gaps between the sand grains. Instead of creating larger pore spaces for water to flow through, you end up with something more akin to concrete. Each sand particle can be the size equivalent of several hundred soil particles, but without any pore space. Essentially, you’re plugging up your soil with sand, making it even less permeable.

When Sand Can Actually Help

To be fair, there is a scenario where sand can improve drainage, but it requires an overwhelming majority of sand—enough so that the sand particles are in direct contact with each other, creating sufficient air spaces between them. This isn’t practical for most gardeners and definitely not something you can achieve with a few bags of sand from your local hardware store.

Better Solutions for Drainage Issues

If you have drainage issues, there are better ways to address them. Consider consulting with trained experts who can recommend effective solutions, such as improving soil structure with organic matter, creating proper grading, or installing drainage systems. If a gardener or landscaper suggests adding sand as a fix, it’s a red flag that they might not have the expertise you need.

So, before you mix sand into your garden soil, think twice. It’s not the quick fix it seems and could leave you with a bigger mess than you started with.

Happy gardening!