Growing Cannabis In Plain Sand

Cpappa27

Cpappa27

Well-Known Member
Just an idea, was wondering if anyone has grown in sand only and treated it like a coco grow where you feed everything it needs and water everyday? I think I want to try this with one plant this grow.


Edit: I decided I am going to try this with 4 different sand mixtures, see page three for details. I will be updating this thread with results throughout the grow to the end and final harvest.
 
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conor c

conor c

Well-Known Member
People do u can its just not ideal but sand is pretty good for rooting cuttings in however providing its clean not full of god knows what what your after is horticultural grade sharp sand many mix it in with there soil mix as well
 
Tolerance Break

Tolerance Break

Well-Known Member
I am intrigued.

I know in large enough volume sand is used as a water filter, but I am no expert, and I have been awake for an hour, so I am having trouble imagining what that might mean for the roots.

Please share your results!
 
Cpappa27

Cpappa27

Well-Known Member
Actually Im going to leave it plain sand just for the experiment. I bet vermiculite would be great since it helps with water retention. Maybe do another bucket with sand and perlite vermiculite
 
curious2garden

curious2garden

Well-Known Mod
Staff member
Cpappa27 said:
Just an idea, was wondering if anyone has grown in sand only and treated it like a coco grow where you feed everything it needs and water everyday? I think I want to try this with one plant this grow.
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Actually growing in a mix of sand and sawdust was pioneered by Dr. Jacob Mittleider known in agricultural circles as The Mittleider Method became quite popular in many developing nations who had exhausted their soil or had caliche soil.

https://backyardville.com/mittleider-gardening-method/ discusses this and I believe this was his first non academic agricultural text:
 
Cpappa27

Cpappa27

Well-Known Member
Tolerance Break said:
I am intrigued.

I know in large enough volume sand is used as a water filter, but I am no expert, and I have been awake for an hour, so I am having trouble imagining what that might mean for the roots.

Please share your results!
Click to expand...
I definitely will be posting results. I am actually intrigued myself. I have never done coco so this should be a learning experience. I did do something I guess you could consider soiless, which was straight peat moss and dolomite lime and then I fed it the foxfarm soil feed and it did pretty good considering it was a 14 week sativa and I got her to finish without any issues. Im not going to buy hydro or coco nutes Im just going to feed it the Foxfarm soil nutes I have with calmag probably. I wonder what the ph of the sand would be?
 
Cpappa27

Cpappa27

Well-Known Member
Cpappa27

Cpappa27

Well-Known Member
curious2garden

curious2garden

Well-Known Mod
Staff member
Cpappa27 said:
That book is pricey but I bet its worth it.
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Later in his life after moving from Southern CA to Utah he paired with Kennard to write this:

That's what I'd buy now. But I'd get it here:

Growfood.com

Jacob Mittleider gardening method. Free vegetable gardening tips, advice and techniques by Jacob Mittleider. Vegetable gardening books, CDÕs and videos to produce the best organic gardens; and even better than most, because you give your plants exactly what they need, using natural mineral...
growfood.com growfood.com

Look under Shop. It's the current incarnation. I use Dr. Mittleider's mix of nutrients for my coco/perlite mix in my raised garden beds in my yard. I'm in the Mojave Desert so the soil here is somewhat poor without massive amendment.

Nota Bene:
I spent the first year of my undergraduate degree at the agricultural campus of my university. It's where I got bit by the gardening bug oh so many years ago. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak. He was a brilliant and kind man.
 
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Cpappa27

Cpappa27

Well-Known Member
curious2garden said:
Later in his life after moving from Southern CA to Utah he paired with Kennard to write this:

That's what I'd buy now. But I'd get it here:

Growfood.com

Jacob Mittleider gardening method. Free vegetable gardening tips, advice and techniques by Jacob Mittleider. Vegetable gardening books, CDÕs and videos to produce the best organic gardens; and even better than most, because you give your plants exactly what they need, using natural mineral...
growfood.com growfood.com

Look under Shop. It's the current incarnation. I use Dr. Mittleider's mix of nutrients for my coco/perlite mix in my raised garden beds in my yard. I'm in the Mojave Desert so the soil here is somewhat poor without massive amendment.
Click to expand...
That is really neat. I never thought of soiless outdoors. Its a very interesting method, Ive always just done soil. Now Ive been reading more and watching videos. Im going to get that book for sure.

Also I am reading this study on growing in sand from 1939 its quite interesting actually if you want to check it out. I just started reading it and its great.
https://business.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Publications/Circulars/C129pdf.pdf
 
curious2garden

curious2garden

Well-Known Mod
Staff member
Cpappa27 said:
That is really neat. I never thought of soiless outdoors. Its a very interesting method, Ive always just done soil. Now Ive been reading more and watching videos. Im going to get that book for sure.

Also I am reading this study on growing in sand from 1939 its quite interesting actually if you want to check it out. I just started reading it and its great.
https://business.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Publications/Circulars/C129pdf.pdf
Click to expand...
If you do a deep dive into Dr. Mittledier those are the type of studies and his peers he founded his work on and worked with. If you do a deep dive into Ag Texts and science of the 40s and 50s you should find his work.

Essentially my point to you was pure sand is too dense a medium. He cut it with sawdust. I don't have a good source of sawdust but I did have plenty of coco/perlite so I repurposed it. But sand will work. It is simply another inert, soilless medium that will provide denseness but you also need a lightener to the mix such as vermiculite or perlite. I'd go with less sand and lean more toward a finer perlite/vermiculite. Definitely coarser than the sand but smaller than the xlarge type perlite I mix with light coco pith.

I hope this help. I've always loved gardening and the science behind it but I admit I have a fairly black thumb LOL
 
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