Compacted garden soil may kill plants because their roots cannot spread to find moisture and nutrients. One amendment used to combat dense soils is quartz sand. Technically called silica sand, this sand type comes in various particle sizes so it incorporates seamlessly into the soil structure. Quartz sand has several uses in the yard.
Amending Tree Soils
Many trees that grow in warm climates prefer well-draining soils, including palm trees. One way to achieve good drainage is to mix quartz sand, garden soil and organic matter together. This soil trio allows air and water pockets to proliferate within the soil for optimum root nourishment. Although it is best to prepare your garden soil before planting a tree, you may amend the soil around an established tree, if needed.
Desert Garden Use
Wet soil in desert gardens is a recipe for rotting cacti but quartz sand mixed into the soil creates the well-draining environment needed for growth and flowering, even during rainy seasons. One of the other major benefits of quartz sand is its minimal influence on soil pH. Unlike limestone sands, quartz sand does not increase the pH of the soil. As a result, you do not risk changing the soil's pH and damaging plants.
Creating Landscaping Slopes and Transitions
A properly landscaped yard does not have a perfectly flat surface -- there must be a slight slope, such as 1 percent, to funnel rainwater away from structures. Quartz sand helps you create this slope when you mix it into the surrounding soil. Your slope has proper drainage along the surface, as well as within the topsoil itself. Another way to use quartz sand for landscaping is using it in transitions. Trees do not commonly like plants directly beside their trunks but quartz sand, spread evenly across the area between a lawn and the tree creates a better aesthetic than bare soil.
You can also use quartz sand as a supportive soil layer for retaining walls. Especially handy for yards with terraced hillsides, retaining walls hold a specific amount of soil in place to create a flat area for planting. Not only does the wall's base need a layer of compacted sand, but the soil surrounding the wall needs to have a sand mixture to keep the planting area well-drained. If the area behind the wall does not drain well, the weight of trapped water and wet soil compromises its stability.
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