How do I start a garden on a sandy ground?

onikkie25: How do I start a garden on a sandy ground?
Here in South Carolina, the soil is mostly sand on top and soil at the bottom. How would start a garden or what should first to start a garden on that type of soil? Please help.

Answers and Views:

Answer by unit
sandy soil can be OK as long as it is at least 50% or more sand
below that level, sandy soil can become rock hard 20 to 45%sand
in a sandy soil most plants will need support

either way, add organic matter like compost and cow manure
loom is what you are after
keep adding organic matter
best of luck

Answer by ainoah546
In order to answer your question there is further information needed. Just under your question there is a small toolbar, click on the + sign and add information if you deem it convenient.

1. How much sand is there in the top layer, just and estimate please?
2. Do you want to grow a sand garden or one on earth/soil?
3. Should you remove the sand would it become sandy again in less than a year?
4. What kind of plants would you prefer?
5. How are your seasons?
6. Do you have head on sea breeze?

If I had these replies I could help you, otherwise it would be such a long answer it would probably just bore you.

Bye

Answer by SafetyDancer
My advice: don’t. At least, not yet.

Take a year and rototill everything organic into the soil that you can find: grass clippings, leaves, kitchen scraps (except meat and fat). Get it from the neighbors, too, they’ll love you for it. Till down to at least 18 inches and bring that soil up from down below. After you till, cover the entire garden with more organic material, then till it in again. Catch worms from other parts of your yard and toss them into the tilled garden area – they will think that they have died and gone to heaven.

If you have access to any kind of free barnyard manure – horse, cow, rabbit, or chicken – toss that into the mix and rototill that in, too. (Not just before planting, though, you don’t want to burn your seedlings and plants.)

Let it winter over, then till it again next spring. It should be in good shape by then and be able to hold nutrients and water much better than with all that sand on the top.

Repeat the process after the growing season and let it winter over again.

You’ll have the best crops in the area!