I should post this on the soil forum too, but I thought it is also appropriate here...

If you could start a new garden and you had 2 options of where to place it -where it was too sandy or had too much clay- which would you chose?

We moved to this place last spring and those were my options with the 'too sandy soil' getting more sun than the clay area. I chose 'too sandy'. And its really sandy!

This was my reasoning for chosing the too sandy soil:

-it recieved more hours of sun

-easy to work in as far as pulling weeds and digging

-easy to clean off root veggies like poatoes and carrots

-good drainage

-should warm up sooner in the spring

-its very poor soil, but thought eventually you've got to ammend and add to any soil anyways

-I like to grow potatoes, carrots and beets and they do well in a sandier soil

-usually a lack of moisture isn't an issue here

On the down side:

-a lack of moisture was definately an issue this year! I had to water ALOT in the heat and drought, especially with plants just coming up. So to beat that I'll have more work with watering or mulching. Although mulching will be good to do anyways.

-I think I'll have to add alot more fertilizer than I first thought due to leaching...not sure yet (I use mainly well composted cow manure and have been tilling in straw for more organic matter and peat in the flower beds)

-its easy to clean off my veggies, but it sure splashes up easy from the rain and all my foiliage(not to mention lettuce!) gets rather dirty. So more mulching.

-everything just had that baked look to it all through June

I'm throwing this out there because I was so confident in my choice last year, but this summer I'm having my doubts. Especially, if this weather is going to be a trend.

Thanks for any thoughts you may have...Toots :^)