Very Very Newbie Questions

[Rebecca Hilliard]

I have some very basic questions I would love answers to.

1) How am I supposed to tell if my soil is "well drained" or not? And if it's not, how do I make it so?

2) If a particular plant requires part shade, how much actual time is that daily approximately?

3) If a certain plant requires "sandy" soil-should I assume that means I need to add sand to my soil? If so, how much is adequate? If not, what does "sandy" soil actually mean?

I would appreciate any help you can provide. Any suggestions, links, etc. are welcome!!

Thanks, Rebecca

[Charles]

Don't do this when it's raining.

Dig a hole 2 feet deep. Hope it doesn't fill with water by itself.

Fill it with water, let the water drain out. Fill it again, if the water drains away in one hour or so, drainage is good. If it stays for several hours, drainage is bad.

[Tom Randy]

Do you have standing puddles of water that remain for long periods of time? When you water does it take a LONG time for it to drain down? If so, you can work in sand, perlite, compost, etc.

I beleive full sun is 6 hours or more a day. Early morning or late afternoon sun is ok for shade loving plants.

Sandy soil would mean the soil has excellent drainage. See above comments for well drained..

Tom

[Janet Baraclough..]

The message from [e-mail] (Rebecca Hilliard) contains these words:

Heavy rain makes puddles. On well-drained soil, when the rain stops, the puddles soon disappear. On badly drained soil, the puddles lie around for a long time... days, weeks, months even.

That depends on your climate, location and topography, so tell us more.

Ditto.

It means that the plant prefers a light, free-draining soil, probably low in nutrients. In some situations, you can improvise by adding grit to the soil; pointless if you live in the bottom of a damp peaty hollow though.

Janet.

[Phisherman]

After a good rain examine the ground. A well-drained area will not have any standing water. Walking on it with sandals should not get your feet wet. You can make an area "well drained" by diverting runoff water by using drain tubes with gravel and/or making a raised bed.

Many gardeners consider 6 hours of sun is "full sun." From that, anything less would be "part sun" or "part shade." Afternoon sun is more intense than morning sun.

Sandy soil contains a significant portion of sand. Take a close look at the soil and feel it. A moist sandy soil will feel gritty. Only the plant can "tell" you if enough is adequate, but a half inch of sand worked into the area would be a good start.

[David Hill]

"..........How am I supposed to tell if my soil is "well drained" or not? .........."

Dig a hole 12 inches square and about 15 inches deep pour in 1 or 2 buckets full of water and time how long it takes to drain away. The faster it drains the better your drainage.