I have a huge pile if sand from a old pool what do I do with it?

froggy_2009

15 years ago

We just bought a house and in the middle of are yard is a sand pit from where they use to own a pool. We want to grow grass again and did't know what would be the best way.We have leveled out the sand, but the sand is still about 5 to 6"deep ,and was not sure if we had to remove all of it or if grass would grow over it? And would we have to til it?

Featured Answer

jeannie7

15 years ago

Grass wont grow on a beach.....so compare what you have and decide how best to use it.

Sand is a marvellous drainer of moisture. Chances are the sand you have is not good for gardening. If its beach sand, or sand more likely found in a child's playbox, it is not what one should use for helping plants drain.

What you have to do to the area is devise a plan on how to get organic matter into the ground under the sand.
Six inches of sand...you didn't say what the area was...so we assume it was a 30' wide above ground round pool.
That would work out to about 12 cubic yards of sand.
You have a lot of work to do.

If the sand is the type that can be used for gardening....that is, it is a coarse grain type, then maybe you can offer it to friends and neighbors to come and take what they want. Spread out over a wide area, and dug down 6" - 12" could be done if it is this type.
You might get in touch with a quarry in your area and offer it free of charge. Probably tho, they wont accept it--they have lots without it. You'd have to hire a front-end loader to take to a truck to haul it away.

To dig it in and cover over with topsoil might prove to be a bigger headache. Sand, the type that comes from the beach, will not drain moisture, instead, it will cause soil to become like granite...especially if it is clay soil.

A sign out front...."free sand" might get rid of some..just don't tell them its not the type for gardening.
Lots of kids in the neighborhood, the sign might read 'good for sandboxes'.

Its too bad you didn't write into the sale documents that the sand had to be removed by seller.

The people in North Dakota could use it.

Comments (8)

garycinchicago
15 years ago
C'mon jeannie!

I fish in Ontario. There is no sand in the Laurentian Plateau of the Canadian Shield lakes, but grass does grow on beaches! See link below. And as a matter of fact, owners of warm season grass top dress their lawns with sand all the time.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:82655}}
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texas_weed
15 years ago
Well you smothered whatever grass you had, or I should say buried it. But donÂt worry you can grow grass just fine in sand, you will just have to water and feed it more frequently until organic matter builds up to hang on to the water and nutrients. Go to just about any golf course and look at the putting greens, they are pure sand or a mix a 50/50 mix of sand and peat but at any rate they contain no soil. Well the lower end courses will use native soil, but not the nicer courses.

There is no reason in the world to till sand. All you have to do is lightly rake the surface, broadcast seed, and then use a water roller to set the seed, and then keep it watered.

Your big challenge is right now is the worst time to plant a cool season lawn. It can be done but the results will be poor once the heat of summer rolls around so you will probable need to reseed in the fall when conditions are optimal.
jeannie7
15 years ago
Well I digress away from what was suggested; that sand, the type that is used for playboxes, will not support grass roots; rather it will result in short roots that will be open to any kind of severe sun.

Coarse sand, builder's sand, is more the type that is added to soil to help drainage.

If there is any incursion of grass near a beach, it is only because the grass was there and nearby trees are aiding in water retention.
When have ever seen grass at water's edge where such beach is sand.

Tilling in the wrong type of sand will, without question, result in a lousy lawn that will need constant repairing.

If sand is applied to golf courses, it is intended to help drainage.....beach sand will not do that.
javamama
9 years ago
oops see my post below

This post was edited by javamama on Sun, Jul 6, 14 at 16:59
javamama
9 years ago
oops see my post below

This post was edited by javamama on Sun, Jul 6, 14 at 17:02
javamama
9 years ago
I have had success with BOTH grass and no grass.
AT MY Mom's we planted grass and it grew in no time at all. But because of the new grass lighter coloring, there was a visible circle durring the first year. . BUT After 2 OR THREE YEARS it blended nicely and the circle disappeared.
AT MY House, I chose to NOT plant grass. I planted Yuccas and tropical looking plants (for NY), and placed beach chairs, a fire pit and babypool and created a "Beach Area". HOW-EVER it was a REAL CHALLENGE keeping neighborhood cats out of there so I purchased a motion detecting water sprinkler (Scarecrow $45) and NOW MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS .... YUP You guessed .... keeping grass from growing in there. ..... LOL .... BUT with alternating bleach water one week, then vinegar water the next, to kill grass yet keep the area chemical free so my grandbabies can have fun playing in the sand.
botanicalbill
9 years ago
I live in florida and my soil is 100% sand and the grass grows fine.