Quartz Sand for Landscaping

Description

• Much of the sand you can find naturally is composed of silica in the form of quartz. Beaches, for example, are mostly quartz sand. Quartz is commonly found in rocks and is resistant to breaking down. As sand is subjected to more weathering, it grows smoother, so young quartz sand tends to be more jagged and rough. Coarse sand is ideal for improving soil drainage in vegetable gardens and is appropriate in a rock garden.

Landscaping

• Quartz sand -- whether it's in large pebbles or is coarse and fine-grained -- serves well in a rock or drought-tolerant garden. Many desert plants, including cacti and other succulents, grow well in quartz sand. For an attractive rock garden, place drought-tolerant plants in the quartz sand and add various rocks and pebbles for a pleasing appearance. You may also wish to mix in regular garden soil to help your plants grow. Using various colors of quartz sand in the landscape provides attractive highlighting to an existing colorscape.

Gardening

• Quartz sand is a useful garden soil amendment. Compacted or poorly draining soils can benefit from the addition of quartz sand because it creates large pores; but large amounts of the sand are needed to make a big difference. Adding too little sand may actually exacerbate the problem. Incorporate at least 45 percent sand to improve drainage. For a rock garden, add quartz sand to make a ratio of two-thirds sand and one-third garden soil.

Other Applications

• Quartz sand or pebbles are popular material for waterscapes, Zen gardens, small indoor and outdoor rock gardens and pebble arrangements. Quartz rocks come in a range of colors that add aesthetic quality, including red, blue, yellow and clear. Quartz pebbles are commonly available from landscaping companies.