Herb Spirals in Sandy "Soil" - Has anyone built one with sand ?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by vix, May 2, 2003.

  1. vix

    vix Junior Member

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    Hello, The sand in my backyard is extremely poor, apart from the fixed up bits, but I was wondering if anyone's had much luck with sand based herb spirals? It's not really something permies talk about here as the drainage is too fast and if the sand dries out it just flows away...There's not many rocks here, and even bricks are hard to find without a petrol driven horseless carriage!! It's the same with dams in sandy soils (not in my garden :;) ). I wonder about us poor souls with only sand and no moisture holding capacity for making dams work...what happens there ? Just curious...
     
  2. d_donahoo

    d_donahoo Junior Member

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    haven't tried it vix.
    but sounds like a worthy challenge.
    why not give it a go. see what the problems are - try and fix them and keep trying.

    then - write a case study when you are done. so 2 years down the track when you are on another bulletin board and someone asks - has anyone tried? you can shoot of a detailed email case study!
     
  3. Jeff Nugent

    Jeff Nugent Junior Member

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    I suspect that in Fremantle you are better digging most of the herb spiral into the ground. A kind of inverted herb spiral. If you hit the base limestone that may make for some rocks. Just a thought.
    Cheers - Jeff
     
  4. Chook Nut

    Chook Nut Junior Member

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    there should be some pretty good info in Mollisons Permaculture Design Manual on dryland climates..... i didnt go right into it myself seeing as it doesn't affect me in my area ... just that it is possible to find a solution

    not so sure a herb spiral would be that necessary if the soil is so sandy for you.... good opportunity to grow things that like perfect drainage though....

    good luck :)
     
  5. I too have very sandy soil here in Florida, USA. My solution for a herb spiral in sandy soil is to take a negative--a medium sized tree stump sitting right in the middle of my garden area, about two feet tall, and build a small herb spiral around and over it, hoping the tree stump will anchor the herb spiral. Don't have many rocks here either, so will probably use some large fallen tree branches I have lying around to create the edges of the herb spiral until I can find something more permanent--I have an old pick up truck and tend to toss any rocks I find along the way into the back of the pickup. I already have rosemary, sage, and thyme growing in pots and ready to plant once this is built. We get 60 inches of rain, mainly in the summer, and are subject to the occasional hurricane with phenomenal amounts of rain all at once, so it will be interesting to see if this will work, or just all wash away. I plan to document it with my digital camera. This is probably a project for the Fall of 2003, as it's getting too late to plant much due to the summer heat.
     
  6. cristine

    cristine Guest

    Re: Herb Spirals in Sandy

    Hello,
    If you mix compost into the sand, anything grows. I have tried this where i live, in maritime conditions with pine trees. Melissa, oregano, marjoram, mints, thyme, rosemary, basil, nasturtiums. Try seeding the faster growing ones so that they hold the walls of your spiral together, and using the harder ones as the squeleton of it. You need to mulch, with comfrey, etc and water now and then with teas as first so that the sand comes to life. Throw in a few worms after there is a little organic matter happening in the surface.

    good luck!
     
  7. ppp

    ppp Junior Member

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    Re: Herb Spirals in Sandy

    Since you don't need the elevation of a normal "herb spiral" to give draininage to those plants that like it, I'd say the spiral will just be for looks+ companion type effects. I've grown herbs and vegies in what looks like pure beach sand (umina, NSW central coast). Like crisitine said, mix in as much compost as you have and go for it. Can you ask a local fruit + veg shop to fill a bin with waste for you? just dump it on your soil, dig it in a bit, add some manure, mulch it,, and watch the worms and plants go crazy. Plant in a spiral or rows, whatever does it for you.
     

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