Sand: Limitations of Use

Whilst sand use can provide benefits in turf maintenance, there are always limitations which also need to be considered to enable effective decisions to be made on the use of sand. Examples of limitations include:

  Sandy Clay Loam Soil Class

This soil can have a similar ratio of silt and clay particles, yet more sand particles and might be more suited to light usage cricket squares as the soil should be able to be consolidated adequately for play, especially school level play, as well as for many tennis courts. An example of a sandy clay loam soil is one that contains the following: 52% sand, 20% silt, 28% clay. This soil will offer slow, but suitable drainage potential, also making it easier for end of season renovation works. This soil class can be well suited for many lawns of a general quality, although moss can be a problem d

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  Sandy Clay Soil Class

These soils can retain water during the autumn and winter making them difficult to work, especially where rainfall is at fairly frequent intervals. However, where soil structure is very good, along with a suitable fall on the land to aide surface drainage, then these soils can be well suited to general lawns and playing fields, although not sports pitches. It might be a soil that can be used for low level cricket pitch use, especially some schools or some village type cricket, if the native soil is of this type. An example of a sandy clay soil is one that contains the following: 50% sand, 10% silt, 40% clay.

  Sandy Loam Soil Class

This soil generally has more than half the particles being sand, so can be well drained yet also has a good quantity of silt and clay particles for nutrient and moisture retention. An example of a sandy loam soil is one that contains the following: 60% sand, 25% silt, 15% clay. This type of soil is well suited for general sports grounds and playing fields.

  Sandy Silt Loam Soil Class

A soil with a high percentage of sand and silt compared with clay and can be suitable for general lawns or landscape areas, although not for sports turf situations as smearing of the surface layer and within the profile can be a particular problem. An example of a sand silt loam soil is one that contains the following: 30% sand, 55% silt, 15% clay.

  Saturated Water Content

All, or almost all, pore spaces are filled with water. A saturated soil will produce surface puddles when further water is added, this is called ‘ponding'. The term is also referred to as Saturation, Saturated Soil, or Saturation Point.

  Seed Bed

A prepared area of soil which is even and has a fine tilth, free of stones and debris, and which is ready for grass seed to be sown.

  Shallow Soil

A relatively thin topsoil overlying a subsoil. This can be typical of natural soils in chalk areas or what many builders will leave following new housing builds.

  Silica

A common mineral component of many sands. Its chemical composition is silicon dioxide (SiO2) and this is usually represented as quartz. It is chemically inert, hard and relatively resistant to weathering.

  Silt

A fine granular, silky to feel when moist, mineral with particles between sand and clay, with size ranges varying according to the scale used: The International Scale, or the US (known as Udden¯Wentworth) scale.