Wanting to put a number of small plants into larger pots, can i use
ordinary builders sand purchased from a builders merchant to increase
drainage? Thanks

In article <shn00i$lop$1@dont-email.me>,
john west <mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:
>
>Wanting to put a number of small plants into larger pots, can i use
>ordinary builders sand purchased from a builders merchant to increase
>drainage? Thanks

You must use sharp sand, not builder's sand, but yes. There are
a few very delicate plants thast would benefit from having the
sand washed first, or even special sand, but few gardeners ever
encounter them. I wouldn't do either, myself.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Mon, 13 Sep 2021 08:52:51 +0100, john west
<mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:

>
>Wanting to put a number of small plants into larger pots, can i use
>ordinary builders sand purchased from a builders merchant to increase
>drainage? Thanks

No. You want potting grit. It's much more angular than builder's sand,
and a bit coarser. Most potting grits have grains in the 1-5 mm size
range. Most garden centres and some D-I-Y places will sell potting
grit, but few will have the size specified on the bag. You have to
judge it by eye. Avoid gravel, too coarse, and sand is too fine IMO.

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

On 13/09/2021 10:56, Chris Hogg wrote:
> On Mon, 13 Sep 2021 08:52:51 +0100, john west
> <mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:
>
>>
>> Wanting to put a number of small plants into larger pots, can i use
>> ordinary builders sand purchased from a builders merchant to increase
>> drainage? Thanks
>
> No. You want potting grit. It's much more angular than builder's sand,
> and a bit coarser. Most potting grits have grains in the 1-5 mm size
> range. Most garden centres and some D-I-Y places will sell potting
> grit, but few will have the size specified on the bag. You have to
> judge it by eye. Avoid gravel, too coarse, and sand is too fine IMO.
>
That would be what builder's call 'sharp sand' more or less.

--
“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit
atrocities.”

― Voltaire, Questions sur les Miracles à M. Claparede, Professeur de
Théologie à Genève, par un Proposant: Ou Extrait de Diverses Lettres de
M. de Voltaire

On 13/09/2021 11:08, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> On 13/09/2021 10:56, Chris Hogg wrote:
>> On Mon, 13 Sep 2021 08:52:51 +0100, john west
>> <mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Wanting to put a number of small plants into larger pots, can i use
>>> ordinary builders sand purchased from a builders merchant to increase
>>> drainage?   Thanks
>>
>> No. You want potting grit. It's much more angular than builder's sand,
>> and a bit coarser. Most potting grits have grains in the 1-5 mm size
>> range. Most garden centres and some D-I-Y places will sell potting
>> grit, but few will have the size specified on the bag. You have to
>> judge it by eye. Avoid gravel, too coarse, and sand is too fine IMO.
>>
> That would be what builder's call 'sharp sand' more or less.
>
>
Concrete sand

On 13/09/2021 09:47, Nick Maclaren wrote:
> In article <shn00i$lop$1@dont-email.me>,
> john west <mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:
>>
>> Wanting to put a number of small plants into larger pots, can i use
>> ordinary builders sand purchased from a builders merchant to increase
>> drainage? Thanks
>
> You must use sharp sand, not builder's sand, but yes. There are
> a few very delicate plants thast would benefit from having the
> sand washed first, or even special sand, but few gardeners ever
> encounter them. I wouldn't do either, myself.

I've always used Wickes sharp sand. Never had a problem with it and
never washed it.
<https://www.wickes.co.uk/search?text=sharp%20sand>

The major bag goes quite a long way.

I used a jumbo bag for "diluting" soil in my greenhouse many years ago
(4 parts sand to one part peat and one part rather clayey topsoil. It's
on the lean side...).

--

Jeff

On 13/09/2021 12:36, David Hill wrote:
> On 13/09/2021 11:08, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> On 13/09/2021 10:56, Chris Hogg wrote:
>>> On Mon, 13 Sep 2021 08:52:51 +0100, john west
>>> <mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Wanting to put a number of small plants into larger pots, can i use
>>>> ordinary builders sand purchased from a builders merchant to increase
>>>> drainage?   Thanks
>>>
>>> No. You want potting grit. It's much more angular than builder's sand,
>>> and a bit coarser. Most potting grits have grains in the 1-5 mm size
>>> range. Most garden centres and some D-I-Y places will sell potting
>>> grit, but few will have the size specified on the bag. You have to
>>> judge it by eye. Avoid gravel, too coarse, and sand is too fine IMO.
>>>
>> That would be what builder's call 'sharp sand' more or less.
>>
>>
> Concrete sand

Ballast has bigger pebbles and stones in it

--
Truth welcomes investigation because truth knows investigation will lead
to converts. It is deception that uses all the other techniques.

On 13/09/2021 15:06, Jeff Layman wrote:
> On 13/09/2021 09:47, Nick Maclaren wrote:
>> In article <shn00i$lop$1@dont-email.me>,
>> john west  <mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>> Wanting to put a number of small plants into larger pots, can i use
>>> ordinary builders sand purchased from a builders merchant to increase
>>> drainage?   Thanks
>>
>> You must use sharp sand, not builder's sand, but yes.  There are
>> a few very delicate plants thast would benefit from having the
>> sand washed first, or even special sand, but few gardeners ever
>> encounter them.  I wouldn't do either, myself.
>
> I've always used Wickes sharp sand. Never had a problem with it and
> never washed it.
> <https://www.wickes.co.uk/search?text=sharp%20sand>
>
> The major bag goes quite a long way.
>
> I used a jumbo bag for "diluting" soil in my greenhouse many years ago
> (4 parts sand to one part peat and one part rather clayey topsoil. It's
> on the lean side...).
>

thanks. i shall follow this. but as a no nothing i was told compost in
the pots that you buy potted plants in is mainly peat. which is cheap
for the suppliers but contains no nutrients so nutrients are added.
but in a year these nutrients are spent, which is this why unless you
take the plants out of the pot they came and put in proper soil they all
die off ?
Why then should i add this compost to my newly potted plants? Would not
just sharp sand and good loamy soil be adequate ?

On 14/09/2021 18:08, john west wrote:
> On 13/09/2021 15:06, Jeff Layman wrote:
>> On 13/09/2021 09:47, Nick Maclaren wrote:
>>> In article <shn00i$lop$1@dont-email.me>,
>>> john west  <mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Wanting to put a number of small plants into larger pots, can i use
>>>> ordinary builders sand purchased from a builders merchant to increase
>>>> drainage?   Thanks
>>>
>>> You must use sharp sand, not builder's sand, but yes.  There are
>>> a few very delicate plants thast would benefit from having the
>>> sand washed first, or even special sand, but few gardeners ever
>>> encounter them.  I wouldn't do either, myself.
>>
>> I've always used Wickes sharp sand. Never had a problem with it and
>> never washed it.
>> <https://www.wickes.co.uk/search?text=sharp%20sand>
>>
>> The major bag goes quite a long way.
>>
>> I used a jumbo bag for "diluting" soil in my greenhouse many years ago
>> (4 parts sand to one part peat and one part rather clayey topsoil.
>> It's on the lean side...).
>>
>
> thanks.  i shall follow this. but as a no nothing i was told compost in
> the pots that you buy potted plants in is mainly peat. which is cheap
> for the suppliers but contains no nutrients so nutrients are added.
> but in a year these nutrients are spent, which is this why unless you
> take the plants out of the pot they came and put in proper soil they all
> die off ?
> Why then should i add this compost to my newly potted plants? Would not
> just sharp sand and good loamy soil be adequate ?

In fact it is.

The good thing about peats is that it is better to get water to the
plants, but its crap at getting nutrients to them. It is however a good
*sterile* environment that won't have weed seeds in it.

And of course if you live on chalk, ericacious compost gets the PH right
for the azaleas etc.

--
"Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and
higher education positively fortifies it."

- Stephen Vizinczey

On 14/09/2021 18:08, john west wrote:
> On 13/09/2021 15:06, Jeff Layman wrote:
>> On 13/09/2021 09:47, Nick Maclaren wrote:
>>> In article <shn00i$lop$1@dont-email.me>,
>>> john west  <mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Wanting to put a number of small plants into larger pots, can i use
>>>> ordinary builders sand purchased from a builders merchant to increase
>>>> drainage?   Thanks
>>>
>>> You must use sharp sand, not builder's sand, but yes.  There are
>>> a few very delicate plants thast would benefit from having the
>>> sand washed first, or even special sand, but few gardeners ever
>>> encounter them.  I wouldn't do either, myself.
>>
>> I've always used Wickes sharp sand. Never had a problem with it and
>> never washed it.
>> <https://www.wickes.co.uk/search?text=sharp%20sand>
>>
>> The major bag goes quite a long way.
>>
>> I used a jumbo bag for "diluting" soil in my greenhouse many years ago
>> (4 parts sand to one part peat and one part rather clayey topsoil. It's
>> on the lean side...).
>>
>
> thanks. i shall follow this. but as a no nothing i was told compost in
> the pots that you buy potted plants in is mainly peat. which is cheap
> for the suppliers but contains no nutrients so nutrients are added.
> but in a year these nutrients are spent, which is this why unless you
> take the plants out of the pot they came and put in proper soil they all
> die off ?

It depends on the plants. Slow-growing plants can exist for many years
in a pot. Fast-growing plants (annuals in particular) will often exhaust
compost quickly as they not only grow fast, but are often crowded in a
container for mass effect. Anyway, you can use long-acting fertiliser
granules to prolong nutrient life, or regularly water with fertiliser
solution to keep containerised plants going.

Many composts these days are peat-free or peat-reduced, and use other
materials in its place with somewhat similar properties, such as coir or
composted bark.

> Why then should i add this compost to my newly potted plants? Would not
> just sharp sand and good loamy soil be adequate ?

Possibly, but nutrients might drain too quickly. Peat is inert, but
holds water well once it is wetted.

--

Jeff

On 14/09/2021 18:08, john west wrote:
> thanks.  i shall follow this. but as a no nothing i was told compost in
> the pots that you buy potted plants in is mainly peat. which is cheap
> for the suppliers but contains no nutrients so nutrients are added.
> but in a year these nutrients are spent, which is this why unless you
> take the plants out of the pot they came and put in proper soil they all
> die off ?
> Why then should i add this compost to my newly potted plants? Would not
> just sharp sand and good loamy soil be adequate ?