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Coarse Sharp Sand

Coarse Sharp Sand



This is the most useful germination medium available anywhere. It is better and more environmentally friendly than perlite and is reusable in making good quality potting mixes.



To prepare the sand you can start with any grade, but the coarser it is, the less work you will have. Take a kitchen sieve and place a couple of cups of sand in it. Fill a large bucket with water. Now jiggle the sieve in the water so that small particles get washed out into the water (they settle at the bottom eventually). Keep doing this until no more particles wash through the holes. Keep the sand that is in the sieve - it is called 'coarse sharp sand'.

This process is important, as it eliminates the small sand particles and silt that lock up the structure of the sand. Without removing this fine stuff most seed will rot rather than germinate.



During summer it is also possible to dry the sand and sift it dry to get the bulk of the fine stuff out. It should however still be washed at least once.

For difficult or slow seed it is recommended to serilise this sand just before use by baking on a shallow tray in the oven at 200deg C for 2 hours.