|
Potatoes need good soil. This is especially true of the 'Chippewa' variety. Snap beans, sweet corn, and sweet potatoes would probably be all right. Other vegetable crops are heavy feeders and would require very thorough soil preparation. |
|
|
YGS
|
| Joined: 03/17/11 | 05:07 PM Mar 19, 2011 |
 MsGentleDude
|
What is best to plant on newly cleared land where the soil is a little sandy?Remember to compost and add organic material to sandy soil. This will help moisture retention and build up nutrition in your soil. Some perennial herbs such as time, and artemesias like sandy soil. Also try growing plants in containers full of loamy soil set into the ground. This will help any moisture loss to the area around your plants until you can get the organic materiel levels raised in your garden.
|
| Posts: 2 |
 Groundskeeper
|
What is best to plant on newly cleared land where the soil is a little sandy?Good tips!
|
| Posts: 614 |
 Clenram
|
What is best to plant on newly cleared land where the soil is a little sandy?Good suggestions. Just not a lot that will help retain moisture when the temperature stays over 100 degrees for several weeks.
|
| Posts: 156 |
| Joined: 09/20/11 | 02:58 PM Feb 03, 2012 |
|
Clenram
|
What is best to plant on newly cleared land where the soil is a little sandy?We have soil that is 99% sandy I think. We just cleared about an acer to plant. It is in South Texas and the weather is hot. Farmers here have planted peanuts. We plant to put Watermelon, Cucumbers, and okra in this new place. I will post if this works.
|
| Posts: 156 |
|
Groundskeeper
|
What is best to plant on newly cleared land where the soil is a little sandy?You've been researching crops for your conditions,apparently. Whatever the case, you've chosen some of the best. Watermelons tolerate the hot and dry conditions that your garden but need a lot of water and time to mature. You might consider the mini varieties. For two years I grew okra on sand (formerly the landing spot at the bottom of a backyard playground slide) enriched with a bit of compost. I was careful to water regularly, meaning every four days or so, that's how fast the ground dried out. The plants grew five feet tall and produced more fruits than I could eat. Both watermelons and eggplant are native to Africa, perhaps a hint of why they thrive on heat. Your cucumbers are likely to have powdery mildew. Maybe the watermelons too. Here's a list of varieties with some resistance to powdery mildew. Hint: The charts are near the bottom of this publication.
|
| Posts: 614 |
|
Clenram
|
What is best to plant on newly cleared land where the soil is a little sandy?The cucumbers have done great! I have pickled about 80 jars so far. The okra had problems with cut ants. It is starting to come back. The melons in this new area produced a few melons but died in the heat. It could be that part of the garden gets no shade.
|
| Posts: 156 |
| Joined: 03/22/12 | 12:32 AM Jun 21, 2012 |
 PrinceSnow
|
What is best to plant on newly cleared land where the soil is a little sandy?Lavender loves this type of soil
|
| Posts: 230 |
|
Clenram
|
What is best to plant on newly cleared land where the soil is a little sandy?I will have to try some lavender in the field. I have some in pots and it does well.
|
| Posts: 156 |
| Joined: 04/12/10 | 02:06 PM Jun 24, 2012 |
|
Groundskeeper
|
What is best to plant on newly cleared land where the soil is a little sandy?Clenram, I'm surprised that the melons couldn't take the heat. Were they watermelons, cantaloupes, what? Then there's the question of regular watering. Every time you mention ants among your garden pests, I have to do a reality check about conditions in the dry hot parts of Texas. You have fire ants, too, not just a hazard to the garden but to the gardener. Meanwhile, in Hempstead, TX, at the great garden of John Fairey, the main pests are feral pigs, which makes rifles garden tools.
|
| Posts: 614 |
|
Clenram
|
What is best to plant on newly cleared land where the soil is a little sandy?The Melons were one of the Grow it Forward Melons from Baker Creek. I will have to look to remember the name. This time of year we do need to water a lot. I will have to try to heat resistant types next year.
|
| Posts: 156 |