Sand instead of Perlite?

pokesalotasmot said:

so.....nobody knows, or am i asking a dumb question? lol

bump

edit: my timing is off

thanks for the input guys. yeah...i'm out in the stix....there's an ace hardware down the street, but even IF they would have it, they wouldn't this time of year. Guess i'll have to drive out to lowes tomorrow.

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my ace has it and it is about 20 degrees outside.. the thing is with a hardware store like ace, they dont ship stuff back to the company. they just put it in the back or something. just call and ask, id be willing to bet they have it there.

Thanks again for the replies everybody. LOL, yeah i'm not growin in clay, although almost my whole yard IS clay. I asked about the sand because last summer my wife and I planted lavender bushes, and mixing sand with the clay helps them drain better. Lavender doesn't like to be too wet for too long either!

And yeah...there is maybe an outside chance my ACE might have some, but I live in a small valley, pop. less than 2500, and its a small ace. At this point, i'll just go to lowes for the perlite, and hit up walmart for groceries too while i'm there.

Thanks again!

edit: +rep to you KP2. I appreciate the offer, but I'll pass.

no problem, good luck on your ventures

The very first hydro was by the Egyptians in sand wasn't it?

KP2 said:

sand+water=concrete.... shitty for roots, unless we're talking cacti...

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I am not saying that sand is as good or better than perlite but do not think that sandy soil is bad to grow in.

Take a look at Michigan and the amount of agriculture that goes one there and the wide selection of different types of fruits and vegetables and other crops that are grown there and the soil in many of those areas has a very high percentage of content of sand.

Yes cement mixed with sand and stone equals concrete but take away the cement and stone and all you have is sand and it is nothing like concrete. Roots can dig through sand as fast as a cutting torch through tin foil. It just does not aerate the soil as much and while it does not loosen it the sand is so fine that roots will bore through it very easily.

You said; "shitty for roots, unless we're talking cacti." Well if you irrigate that same piece of desert the cacti are in you can turn it into a lush garden of Eden. Remember that what keeps a desert from being lush is lack of moisture/precipitation and not the sand itself.


Sand is not horrible but it is not the best either but it will work if that is all you have to use or the best you have to use.

pokesalotasmot said:

What up guys, first timer here. Been on the forum for a while now just lurking, and i have a question i can't seem to find an answer to.

I have FF Ocean Forest soil, and I read that some people like to mix a little perlite with it. I don't have perlite in my back pocket, and would have to drive +/- 45 mins to the nearest store to get some, however i have some sand.

So my question is, can I use the sand instead of the perlite? If so, what would be a good mix ratio? I also have some fine ground peat moss, should this be factored in as well? Pros/cons of each?

This mix I would only use for the early part of vegetative growth, and when i would transplant to a bigger pot, i would use FFOF straight up.

Thanks for reading, and any help you guys can give me. Happy toking

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add 30-40% perlite stay away from sand....

It will be worth the drive perlite helps the roots along roots need to breath sand will only hold more water stoping roots from breathing a little sand is ok in a all purpose mix compost perlite buildingsand this isnt has salty has the rest grit sand can sometimes be a little salty too.

Perlite is definitely the way to go. Good luck

DubB83 said:

The very first hydro was by the Egyptians in sand wasn't it?

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no, it was the hanging gardens of babylon.

Brick Top said:

I am not saying that sand is as good or better than perlite but do not think that sandy soil is bad to grow in.

Take a look at Michigan and the amount of agriculture that goes one there and the wide selection of different types of fruits and vegetables and other crops that are grown there and the soil in many of those areas has a very high percentage of content of sand.

Yes cement mixed with sand and stone equals concrete but take away the cement and stone and all you have is sand and it is nothing like concrete. Roots can dig through sand as fast as a cutting torch through tin foil. It just does not aerate the soil as much and while it does not loosen it the sand is so fine that roots will bore through it very easily.

You said; "shitty for roots, unless we're talking cacti." Well if you irrigate that same piece of desert the cacti are in you can turn it into a lush garden of Eden. Remember that what keeps a desert from being lush is lack of moisture/precipitation and not the sand itself.


Sand is not horrible but it is not the best either but it will work if that is all you have to use or the best you have to use.

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sand compacts when water is added, and compacts more as it dries. this is why sandy soils don't do so great for grass, even though grass grows every where. yes, with water all the time, you can keep plants alive. but, do a side by side, sand and soil, and check out the difference. roots do NOT cut through compacted sand very easily.

it's not irrigation that helps, it's agitation. fields in michigan are turnded, plowed, and disked. pots usually don't get that treatment.

I just bought some john innes compost that has a lot of added sand.
I am testing it with some new seeds but when i transplant to bigger pots i will use a stronger soil and add perlite to it.
I think you'll find it ok for small plants and seedlings,cuttings etc.. but when they get big they need more air and drainage

Just cant help myself!!!
Good potting soil 50% pearlite 25% Clean sand 25% Gotta mix it real good. Drains great, grows the shit out of dope, does not harden up and certaintly doesn't turn to concrete.

Man o man,where do some of the people who grow get their ideas from,FYI sand has been used as a soil amemndment for hundreds if not thousands of years,is it the best no it isnt,will it work yes it will,i use sand in every one of my grows & will never stop using sand.

All the stuff people are saying that sand settles & will become compact is 100% true,the thing is that these issues do not apply to the needs of most marijuana growers,while sand does settle it dont move like lightning,at most a pot plant is alive for 5 to 6 months,in that short of time span the setteling of the sand will be minimul at best & surely not cause any compacted soil issues.

One thing about sand & a very impostant issue is to make damm sure the sand you have is the right type of sand,do not for any reason use beach sand,you should only use sand that is ok for amending soil,you can use plain ole masons sand,keep the ratio at around 5% to 10%.

I have no use for Fox Farms soil products,for the volume of soil i use it would be way too costly to buy any brand pre mixed soil,i make my own soil mix every grow & i "ALLWAYS" include masons sand & i have excellent high yeilding harvests every grow,my soil never becomes compacted & allways has excellent drainage,at the end of the grow after i harvest there is no build up or clumps of sand anywhere in the pot & all the sand is still evenly mixed through the root mass as well as in the pot.

I need to add that i usually use perlite in my seedlings pots but that this time i am not going to at all as i have found that the young plants can outgrow their small pots to quickly when they are full of perlite and i want a harder middle root ball when i transplant into the big baskets as i believe that this helps give tighter nuggets.
The bag that i bought already has the correct amounts of sand and soil mixed in