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Is playsand harmful to a vegetable garden?

We want to start tilling in the area of where the playsand is in our back yard. Will the sand be harmful to the vegetables we would like to plant?

Public Comments

1. No, not harmful at all. It's just silica sand. But, it will be extremely fast draining. So, you will have to add a lot of organic material (mulch or compost) to it for it to hold water and nutrients for the plants. You also might want to put plants in that area that specifically require well-drained soil.
2. no if you have heavy soil it will help with the drainage
3. It is "not" silica sand. Silica sand is white and is used for sandblasting. Play sand will be beneficial to your garden helping with drainage . Till it in very well.
4. No, it really does not break down so it is not going to affect the chemistry of the garden, just its texture.
5. If you have clay soil, tilling in the sand will be beneficial, as it will help drainage. It you already have sandy soil, it won't make much difference if you add more sand. Playsand is completely inert and will not do any harm to your garden. Make sure you add lots of compost -- it is the most important single thing you can do to make your veggies grow.