Sandy soil leaks water and fertiliser
Little and often. Don’t dump a season in one pile.
- It falls apart in the hand, drains in hours, fertiliser is short-lived.
- Seedlings drought and yellow easily.
- Hard packing will not let water in; sandy soil will not hold water.
- Sandy soil is not empty of nutrient — it will not keep it.
- Don’t pour a clay-sized dressing in one go; don’t expect sand to hold a flood of water and fertiliser.
- How many top-dresses: 1–2 more times than clay, each time smaller. Split the soil-test total
- Name what you see before you feed.
- If leaves, roots and the surface disagree, stop.
What you see in the field
It falls apart in the hand, drains in hours, fertiliser is short-lived. Seedlings drought and yellow easily.Rub a handful next to a darker neighbour that still forms crumbs. Pale dusty soil that leaks after rain matches this page. Yellow leaves are extra — first ask whether the soil still has body.
Tap to enlarge. The caption says what to photograph. Missing field photos are marked as to-be-added.
Why it looks like this
The field looks like this because the root cannot take water or nutrients the usual way. Fix the soil condition first — drainage, salt, acidity, compaction or a salt of fertiliser — then a thin feed. Rates live in the range on this page; confirm with a local station and the label.
Easy to mix up
Looks like “Hard-packed soil”
Hard packing will not let water in; sandy soil will not hold water.
Looks like “Short of fertiliser”
Sandy soil is not empty of nutrient — it will not keep it.
Do this / don’t do that
- 1It falls apart in the hand, drains in hours, fertiliser is short-lived. Seedlings drought and yellow easily.
- 2Little and often. Split organic matter, mulch, split irrigation, split nitrogen especially.
- 3Don’t pour a clay-sized dressing in one go. Use the range on this page only as a range. Confirm with a local station and the product label.
Don’t do this first
- Don’t pour a clay-sized dressing in one go; don’t expect sand to hold a flood of water and fertiliser.
Rate range
How many top-dresses
1–2 more times than clay, each time smaller
Split the soil-test total.
Organic manure
Keep putting it on, locally
Hold more nutrient.
These are ranges. Confirm with your local extension station and the product label.
How soon after a spray or a feed it showed
A 1–3 day burst looks more like spray injury / fertiliser burn.
When you see It falls apart in the hand, test. If the leaf and the soil disagree, test before you pour.
Lesson video
2026-03-06 · Li Zeyu · For learning. Serious damage: local agronomist or a soil test.
For learning only. Fertiliser and pesticide decisions need a local agronomist and a soil test.
Not sure? Photograph the field to identify the problem