WAS: Sand for potting mixes NOW 'Silica Sand"

James Waddick jwaddick@kc.rr.com
Sat, 15 Nov 2014 16:01:02 PST
Dear Dell,

	At my local Lowe’s home store, you can buy play sand, builder's sand and tube sand. Basically all the same as a coarse tan ‘sand.

	One can also buy ‘Silica Sand” that is marked as “Pure Silica’. It is finer grained and almost pure white. I believe it is used for sand blasting. I bought some for making hypertufa troughs (although I can’t imagine why.)

	Can’t say that Silica Sand drains better or worse than beach sand, builder sand etc, but it is definitely distinct and more expensive at Lowe’s. 

	And I can’t think of using it to pot any thing all by itself, but I have a sand bed of 100% builder’s sand and some things do marvelously well there. 

			Does that help or confuse?		Jim

On Nov 15, 2014, at 3:39 PM, ds429@frontier.com wrote:

> I have heard for years that one needs to use “silica sand” for bulb potting mixes. I wonder how “silica sand” differs from other sand. I try to find very coarse sand because it is not as likely to compact. The best stuff I found was from a stream bed. But was it “silica sand?” Isn’t sand generally a silicate mineral anyway? 
> 
> 
> Dell
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Windows Mail
> _______________________________________________
> pbs mailing list
> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
> http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/

James Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd
Kansas City, MO 64152-2711
USA
Phone     816-746-1949








More information about the pbs mailing list