5 Super Easy Ways To Amend Sandy Soil

[@evelynrusaw5759]

I have been building soil for my garden for a year now. Started with layers of pine needles, went to mulch when that decomposed, added a layer of alfalfa hay, layer of compost, then a layer of hay. Hay from tractor supply, mulch and compost from local vendor. I have gone from no worms in the yard to a healthy soil.

[@WildFloridian]

That’s amazing Evelyn! Patience and persistence really does pay off. 👩‍🌾🙌

[@evelynrusaw5759]

@@HS-hr5wp Dunedin

[@dronefish9629]

I love the rapid-fire opening, and a great video. Thanks from the sandy dunes west of Amsterdam!

[@WildFloridian]

I'm so glad you enjoyed! I had fun making it. Cheers from across the Atlantic!

[@jacobcasmus1882]

I live in FL and was literally looking for a video like this lol

[@WildFloridian]

Yay!

[@championplayerdo7604]

Didn't initially think that I would want to watch a 16-minute video but your video was great! I'm glad I did watch it.👍👍

[@WildFloridian]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@richardallison8745]

I live in the Florida panhandle with sand for soil. For the past 10 years, I have not used anything you are advocating but I use LEAVES from all these Florida oak trees in which they shed leaves in the spring when I do my planting. I get my leaves on the side of the streets and roads in plastic bags that go to the dump and they are free. I spread them in the garden for weed control and during the year they are breaking down into the soil. It has been a slow process but I am beginning to see progress. One thing Florida has is LEAVES.

[@Adnancorner]

Leaves are not bad option.

[@richardallison8745]

@@Adnancorner So far leaves with fertilizer has worked well for me. Our County Extension Service had no problems with leaves. I am 70 years old and have been gardening since a teen.

[@SocraTetris]

I'm a new home owner in florida, and this is exactly what i needed

[@russlea6383]

Your property not only looks great, but it sounds great as well.

[@Adnancorner]

For chop and drop you need to find a particular species that grows well in the poor soil. So you are in florida you may be having certain bushes that can grow easily before the set seeds you just chop the flowering parts to allow more growth and force plant to produce more branches. In my case we are in Dubai, UAE and we have salty sand, so we need a lot of water to let plants grow, we grow a lot of leucaena and small native bushes. Napier grass/Bana grass is one of the plants that can grow easily easily in sandy soil. Secondly to add minerals what I recommend is to add sea water mixed with normal water to add minerals into the plant ecosystem. The ratio that I have experienced is 1:100 so every 1 liter you take add 10 ml. to offset the salt form sea water, so to get rid of sodium from the soil, you plant purslane plant (Portulaca oleracea) to mine the chlorides and sodium to remove the salt, but ensure you do not compost the cuttings of purslane, better option is to feed to chickens or rabbits that you may eat as meat.

[@SnakeAndTurtleQigong]

Sending gratitude from a Daoist monastery near Seattle (USA)!

[@EdgarAllanGo]

I was not expecting to enjoy this video. It was so informative! I loved it. Definitely saving it for reference later.

[@championplayerdo7604]

Yeah I'm saying again and sure this was a great video well-articulated and informative

[@WildFloridian]

I appreciate that

[@lorig2370]

Thank you for all the great info!!!

[@WildFloridian]

You’re welcome ☺️

[@nicolabrown7974]

Thanks for your ideas and those from your subscribers. I live in Lincolnshire England really sandy infertile soil. This area is known as carrot country. There are some beautiful gardens I've no doubt their owners add some sort of mulch to enable a garden to grow. As for my garden we lost the lawn in the 2020 drought now weeds and moss. I've scarified an area ready for a new wildflower area. The next area I dug the sand over then and I'm now throwing and digging cardboard , newspaper next doors horse manure old clothing and clippings in. In order to get some nutritional support I've built a bonfire area the ash goes on. I've no intention to reseed until the ground turns a darker shade and holds water. The wind just blows any moisture off. I also dig the weeds in from the garden at the front of the house. I do leave weeds in situ until may before removing. Gardening on sandy soil is a constant battle but to see something grow is amazing. I also do the no dig bit laying cardboard down and building a substrate on top. Wishing all fellow sandy soil owners the very best and thanks again for your advice.

[@Anne--Marie]

So sorry that you experienced that drought as it is tough to recover from. Here in west central Florida, I am container gardening. Many people throw away their white foam coolers, so I bring them home. It's easier to amend enough soil for container gardening. It's a temporary solution. May you grow beautiful edibles!

[@nicolabrown7974]

@@Anne--Marie thanks for your reply. I looked at my post nine months ago remembering the battle back then. I've got used to digging out a good sized hole for my shrubs then filling with newspaper, manure, coffee granules from the bin outside the supermarket. The grass did return. I've put in a winter garden this autumn. Cornus stems , photinia , and hundreds of snowdrops. I wish you the very best , it's lovely to hear from someone so far away. It's warmed my heart to hear from you.

[@Anne--Marie]

@@nicolabrown7974 That sounds lovely! So happy that you have your beloved garden again. May it give you many decades of joy.

[@ericsuiter7619]

Some take money, some take time.... options we also exchange every time we visit the produce aisle. The huge takeaway for me is knowing what we're eating while learning how to grow some of our food. The reward is the superior quality of our garden food versus the bland (yet often times) pretty store bought fruits and vegetables. Thank you, as always, for sharing as you do.

[@ilovemichigan-1111]

This is one of those videos I wish I would have watched a year ago when it came out! This is great vital wonderful information! You explained it in such a great way as well. Very captivating ☺️💯

[@evah8109]

Same!

[@muriellockhoff9560]

Thank you for all your help

[@WildFloridian]

You’re welcome Muriel

[@steveberry6026]

perfect simple and to the point. thank you

[@bringit3164]

I'm definitely doing the mulch method for my backyard. We're sick of the sand lol.

[@MarkTrades__]

13:20 - talking about inoculating biochar (with pee etc) - you can also use a liquid nutrient supplement and water. Nice, because it requires no previous prep like compost tea or urine saving. I must admit I am saving urine to incoulate some biochar I am making at the moment haha. But I plan on adding either SEA50 or probably dyna-gro foliage pro 9-3-6 (did a soil test & this should be right for me) to soak the biochar. It doesn't have to be compost tea or urine if you are not concerned about using it on food products or you are just cool with it, supposedly. source - mostly david the good & validation from other sources.

[@tonyb8840]

i always add cat litter (clay) anytime i plant in central florida

[@WildFloridian]

Never heard of that before 🤔

[@jenniffer9024]

I do that too! Only plain non-clumping though… there is a Walmart brand that works!

[@pipsplay]

I was wondering about that! I couldn't find anything about it. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one!

[@Huy0035]

Yes, its the bentonite that you are looking for. Soil can benefit from trace amounts of it. Some kitty litters contain it, some dont.

[@bte_permaculture]

Love the energy ❤️ Beautiful garden, creative presentation and lots of fun 🥰 From another Sandy soil neighbour from Kerala, India 🥰🙏

[@ransomstudios778]

I live in St Pete too and this is exactly what I was looking for in a video. Thank you!!

[@SouthernLatitudesFL]

Good talk and wishing you much success in your gardening! You are right, soil is expensive! My close friend spent $480 on organic compost today.

[@WildFloridian]

Thank you ☺️

[@Farmerbettyboop2]

I did this to begin my raised beds in 2021. My plants were so happy

[@sonnyamoran7383]

Cold compost takes longer. Hot compost takes work. Bio-char is easy. If you aren't taking medications it's safer than you think. I've learned so much from you and others. Thanks.

[@WildFloridian]

What a great summary! 🥰

[@THROTTLEOLOGY]

I planted pidgeon peas and comfrey and amend with basalt and peat and black cow I’m still fighting my sandy soil here in Florida Also since you are here in Florida look into florimulch it’s eucalyptus trees partially composted I get mine at Lowe’s

[@Wonderland_Homestead]

Incredible. Well-explained, informative. Great delivery. Thank you!!!!

[@WildFloridian]

You're very welcome!

[@5ystemError]

I've had some good success amending with bokashi compost for annual vegetables. It's a cheap, pest-free, relatively easy way to compost food waste (including meat and dairy). It's also filled with beneficial bacteria and fungi. I still used some storebought manure/compost but I'm trying to get away from that for both cost and sustainability. Mulch is amazing but it takes a while to see the benefit.

[@daleparks6781]

Comfrey is a great chop and drop material to add to any soil!👍✌️

[@sarahbhutta251]

Thank you!

[@YB-PC-BYourself]

Howdy from Hudson, FL (Pasco County). I just finished with my first harvest, and it was not great. I bought my home Nov 2022 and refer to it as "my empire of sand." I am amending as we speak, as my fruit and veggies were small. I am using granular fertilizer and cheap bags of cow poo and organic matter from Home Depot. I had enough lima beans and Roma tomatoes to feed a family of 7, but my Big-boy tomatoes and Bell Peppers are and were small at first harvest. At the end of this harvest in DEC I will till everything with a fertilizer mix, coo poo compost and let sit till Feb and re-till for planting. As you said, we basically have beach sand. lol

[@MarkTrades__]

Great vid. Alot of the stuff I found on youtube for american growing is working in clay soils not our florida sand. Here if the grass dies then your lawn starts to look like a beach haha. I'm in pasco. You're backyard looks like a great spot for pinellas!

[@GardenerEarthGuy]

The summer heat cooks out most of the organic material. If you put compost down it will be gone unless it's covered. I'm a fan of wood chips...

[@WildFloridian]

I’m with you! Wood chips does an amazing job converting Sandy soil! It’s been my go to for years

[@GardenerEarthGuy]

@@WildFloridian I get free piles, compost them, and mix Grodan Crutons with it. If you haven't looked into Grodan mini grow cubes, it's worth a search. Just soak them overnight before planting...

[@sauronwasright]

Me and my partner throw our ash and biochar into our compost so as that breaks down it can simultaneously activate the biochar. When you're ready to layer the compost, bam, both are ready.

[@WildFloridian]

That’s so smart! You know what I might start doing that and save myself a step!

[@ckeeley4366]

My sweet potatoes came out stringy, I think it was because my soil was too rich. Do you know the percentage of sand to soil for sweet potatoes. Sorry I know this is off topic, maybe you could do a video on sweet potatoes. Thank you for your great videos!!!

[@bryanspencer8210]

I buried food scaps directly into my garden. I'm not sure how it will work out, but it won't be the first time I failed at gardening

[@TACbaha]

It's worked really well for me. Hope it goes well for you!

[@WildFloridian]

That’s what I did in my first veggie garden. Trench composting is a great way to get things going

[@katherinehansen950]

I've heard really good feedback on this from some of my friends.

[@justinc183]

best video ever thank you!

[@kathypollari7122]

Your video was so informative. Thank you for cutting to the chase. I’m in zone 9, so my planting season is strange to say the least. You look like you’re in perhaps 10. South Florida. Anyway, thanks for the info.

[@teresaholland4790]

I also live in Fl 9a east coast I moved to a 1/2 acre of sand but lots of suer oak trees I had all the leaves put on our sand pit 3 years later tons of worms and great soil to bad my guy moved that raked for me 😎

[@mari-leefiducia8640]

@wildfloridian could you cover 'Solarizition ' of the soil ... we use LARGE pieces of plate window glass . Works great 👍

[@NafeesAthar51]

Thank you

[@WildFloridian]

You're welcome

[@bigjeffsb]

Great Video, really liked the fast direct to the point opening 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌱🌿🍅🌶️ ✝️🇺🇲🚜

[@thomasgaffney3013]

When you mulch and compost ontop of sand how deep doesthe organic matter leach into to the sand? Is the new built soil just in the top layer you've added or does it affect deeper down at the root zone of plants/trees?

[@tiadrumgold4702]

Ok I'm very new to this. Where would I find wood ash , bio char I'm in Fl zone 9b? Thanks!

[@WildFloridian]

I don’t know if you can buy it. But others may know some places

[@Christopher-xd5in]

I'm from Clearwater but right now I'm up in Crystal River. I have a small pond with duckweed on it. I have been trying to clean it out and have pulled a lot of leaf litter and other bits of organic materials. I'm thinking this water is packed with nutrients. Also I have been looking at all the Spanish moss we have. I'm sure there's tons of nitrogen in all this but I've a bit of old woods next to me. So I started to mix all this easy to get material to build compost. Shredding moss for a mulch is a pain but I'm thinking this would work to improve a garden bed. I like using nothing to make something. Have you made a video on this crazy idea?

[@katherinehansen950]

🙋 North Florida area here. How do you deal with pest problems in these in-ground gardens??? Because up here, even in grow bags and raised beds June bug larvae are a huge issue, even with preventatives and pesticides! 😭 Everyone I've talked to has the same issue. I'm concerned that the issue would get worse in-ground. Thoughts?

[@saltybildo9448]

Have to innoculate the biochar

[@jaelramos7393]

I found that mulch attracts ants and now I have ant piles all over. Have you had that issue? What do you do about ants? Also, NEMATODES! I am currently dealing with them. I’m amending with manure and compost, hopefully that helps but we’ll see.

[@WildFloridian]

I haven’t had that issue. I’ve seen termites but not loads of ants. The mulch attracts millipedes who apparently can have an impact on decreasing nematodes… that’s Jim Kovaleski’s theory.

[@joannejalan]

Have you tried planting marigolds? Supposedly those attract nematodes so they won’t get your other plants. There is an organic farm near us not far from Tampa and I see them in their fields, presumably for that purpose.

[@Shadowcorps-d5g]

Nematodes: Sunn Hemp (grow, then chop/drop) Organic matter (try chipdrop!) Oak leaves Horse manure Marigolds Orange peels Try the compost tea brewing in aerobicly maintained bucket. Some funguses actually trap nematodes! Time to decompose all these things. 😍

[@swampsagacity4685]

Are there problems or concerns with pH when buying & using fresh mulch that hasn’t been aged or cured yet?

[@stevezelev7008]

I started saving the dog's poop (1 big dog and 1 small) in a lined garbage can. The poop beetles break it down in amazing fashion. I throw 4 poops a day in that garbage can and by the next day it's changed completely! I think I'll let it "settle" for a year before chucking it into the garden.

[@katherinehansen950]

We've been throwing ours into the compost too!

[@Steve-ps6qw]

Hmm, interesting. We just moved from Miami to Ocala and have more land. We have dedicated some to a few goats and we have been collecting their poop for fertilizer. I have a burn pit with lots of ash as I had to burn a lot of scrap wood and when I have to pee, I don't like going inside to the disgust of my wife...she is just jealous! So, i just planted some blueberries and an ice cream banana plant. I amended the sand, I mean soil, with peat moss and compost for the berries (blue berries, I know bananas are berries too). They like acidic soil and sandy soil here seems to be on the acidic side but dropping that pH another whole point would be great. No peat moss for the banana plant...I really didn't research that piece but I have ash and pee ready to go and goat poop is always available. I am not a smart person but can learn from people like you and so I thank you.

[@infiniteadam7352]

Bulk mulch places have topsoil, which isn't bad. Its compost from the dump, unfortunately the landfill stopped giving it away.

[@grumpy_ken]

hey great video with lots of information. I'm gardening in south FL sandy soil as well. my city gives out free wood chip mulch and the town to the south has a large equestrian population and I was lucky to find 2 different parties that give away free horse poop compost. prior to amending soil I did a lot of container gardening and also got into native plants. some, like the dune sunflower, are really remarkable how well they thrive in hot and dry sandy soils

[@frankeinstein-q4c]

i was hoping she would turn the camera around so we could see the woodpecker

[@johnliberty3647]

Good timing! The property I am buying is on Sugar Sand.! David the Good is really good on this topic

[@WildFloridian]

You are incorrect. 😉 David is great at this topic! I’ve learned a lot from him through the years. Did you see the experiment with the 12 beds and 12 different amendments. I loved that series he did

[@johnliberty3647]

@@WildFloridian The Turnip and Radish taste test he did with is lovely wife? I saw that a week or 2 ago. Looks like I am going to need to make some Solomons Gold.

[@WildFloridian]

Yeah! That’s the one! What a great series to see not only what creates more harvest but how it impacts flavor!

[@sunnydayz4040]

I'm wondering about how much did you have to pay for the bulk soil?

[@WildFloridian]

It was $400 for 5 cubic yards garden soil and delivery

[@User-3jF8-dJwh-285N]

Girl u the Sugar Honey Ice Tea!! I live in Florida all my life and never knew i can get free stuff. Who doesnt like free!!

[@steveberry6026]

your cute dog is gonna fertilize!!🤣

[@kazuza9]

How about adding clay?

[@WildFloridian]

Clay can help with nutrient and moisture retention.

[@audratoth1733]

does not rain that much in florida but when it does you get something like a sprinkle or a downpour all of which only lasts a minutes.. sorry don't mean to be a bummer but it has been continuously getting dry in florida.

[@jacobcasmus1882]

Ummm idk about the P in sandy soils bc in FL we have TONS of P in the soil so I would do a soil test and check that out before you add anything to it.

[@WildFloridian]

This information came from a talk by University of Florida IFAS on general composition of Florida soil. 😄

[@Bittagrit]

Locally we have bulk soils like mushroom compost and a mix called gardener’s special. Mushroom compost is too hot for some plants, if you don’t know how mix soil that can be a problem. Gardener’s special is everything in it and more expensive. People who are allergic to camphor trees, Brazilian peppers, need to let a tree trimmer know before they start bringing mulch.

[@shiverrmetimberss]

What about just a ton of humates?

[@oreopaksun2512]

Mr. Bunny, here, Mr. Bunny! Yummy veggies for you, but, ya gotta poop here in this lovely litter box I made for you....what do you think? Did your BSFL aka "maggots" just move in, or did you order them from somewhere?

[@WildFloridian]

BSFL maggots will just show up. No ordering required. Mr. Bunny!!!!! I haven’t seen him in a long time and Mr. Cliff hasn’t either.

[@WildFloridian]

LOL! I just got it! You mean get a bunny! Maybe 🤔 Ben would prefer no more pets since Mr. Teddy Bear is a lot of work right now… but who knows 🤷‍♀️

[@oreopaksun2512]

No, I was hoping Mr. Bunny or his offspring were still living in the neighborhood, and in exchange for a nibble or two, could be trained to use a littlerbox. Food for poop exchange. But BSFL are already on the job!

[@gardenintheruff]

If you live in a tree city then the city should have a program to deliver mulch for free. It is part of the tree city program. This is for only citizens that live in that city,

[@WildFloridian]

That would be nice 👍

[@paterson00]

Did you know the word Potassium is derived from pot ash or... Biochar?

[@VayaconDios018]

15:25 urine is sterile if animal or human is healthy

[@sydneymonestime9645]

Bruh I live in South Florida and was wondering why my tomatoes look like there were low in potassium.

[@marilynearl6887]

Have you thought about getting chickens?

[@WildFloridian]

Briefly but we won’t. My little is very allergic to chicken eggs. Like he can’t be in the kitchen if we crack an egg or he has a massive reaction that will last all night (even with treatment). We always have the epi pen ready. So no I won’t risk having chicken eggs around the yard and I’m not sure what being around laying chickens would do to him. Sorry… long story short

[@marilynearl2562]

Wow that’s too bad he is allergic .

[@oreopaksun2512]

@@WildFloridian Awww, that's really severe! And he is such a champ, too. Lets hope they find a way to at least mitigate it as he gets older, so he can construct all his projects w/o worrying about bad eggs.

[@citizenfeymos7813]

You forgot hugo culture....if i spelled it wrong so what..also maybe a border dug a few foot or more deep....moles dont dig super low....keep em out...

[@citizenfeymos7813]

You can use mulch to biochar...and the jean paine mound...look that up.

[@citizenfeymos7813]

Watch out for free....stuff...it might be infected...

[@citizenfeymos7813]

Free should become biochar...pay for the stuff to be from healthy trees...even if you are helping out a tree company.. Tell them you will tip them for something not tainted...

[@citizenfeymos7813]

The dudes who do it know.

[@citizenfeymos7813]

Chop and drop is nitrogen....for the soil.

[@infiniteadam7352]

Black mulch has a known carcinogen on it, red mulch is ok i think, they use iron oxide to dye it.

[@petabread91]

Uh oh, it sounds like you live close to i275 :O

[@WildFloridian]

I live in the city 🌆 There are many many many cars

[@frostylonewolf1700]

do you plan on raising any animals ?

[@WildFloridian]

For sure 2 kids and 3 dogs 🐩… after that 🤷‍♀️ 😂

[@frostylonewolf1700]

@@WildFloridian i'm in zone 4b and i'm growing bananas although it will take longer for me for it to fruit

[@juliagilllewis8228]

N-K-Pee 😂

[@WildFloridian]

Bravo! Brava!!!!

[@theancientsam]

so peeing in a fire is not just fun, its important

[@skorpyo331]

K n P, heard.

[@johngault8688]

Hot composting is overrated. I like "cold" composting, because it's far more biologically diverse.

[@WildFloridian]

Hot compost does get all the hype! 😂

[@seancarvalho8358]

Thank you