Marijuana plants are naturally nothing less but vigorous weed.
That automatically means every cannabis plant will always strive to flourish, regardless of the favorable or unfavorable growing conditions.
Thus, growing cannabis in the sand is not entirely impossible. However, placing your cannabis plants in the sand is also not your best option.
On another note, I have a very personal story of a close friend of mine, who did succeed to grow his weed in the sand, even though, admittedly, he was pretty lucky!
Are you willing to dive deep into the topic, regarding cannabis growing in the sand? We are going to discuss both the pros and cons of sand as a growing medium.
Time to get this party started but first, fasten your seatbelts because this is not going to be an average article!
#1 – Growing Cannabis in Sand: A Personal Success Story
More than 10 years ago, one of my best friends bought a small summer house in Greece.
Nowadays, medical marijuana has just recently been legalized in Greece, however, this was not the case when my friend moved to his new vacation spot.
Anyway, he was (and still is) a verified cannabis patient but also a true cannabis connoisseur by heart.
And so it comes as no surprise that he decided it would be a great idea to look after a few marijuana plants while he was enjoying his 3 months off in the new summer house.
Now the major obstacle (apart from possible problems with the law) was the absence of good soil.
He didn’t have much time to think or react so he just decided to experiment.
Thus, he germinated approximately 2 seeds and soon after he planted his green beauties on a secluded creek.
The soil on the beaches of Greece was nothing but rocks and sands, so he didn’t rely on a huge success upon harvesting.
But then again, as I briefly mentioned above, he turned damn lucky!
First off, the creek was so secluded that nobody bothered him even the slightest bit.
Secondly, it was situated quite near a small river bank, which made fresh water run fairly good through the sandy soil.
Moreover, this same fresh water was nutrient-dense, thanks to the living creatures in the water body.
Thirdly, his marijuana seeds were Mexican Sativa. This type of marijuana variety grows well in hot regions and it is very resistant to high temperatures, which are typical of the Greek climate.
And here we have the 2 major points of growing marijuana in sand – the need of pure, fresh, nutrient-rich and consistent water, along with a suitable cannabis strain.
Indeed, the results he got upon harvesting were nothing to brag about but the buds were just good to have a nice and mellow relaxation without much of a fuss.
Well, I told you marijuana plants are simply vigorous weed in nature and this example is a solid proof how your green beauties can really amaze you!
#2 – Pros & Cons of Sand as a Growing Medium for Cannabis
Now, as a rule of thumbs, I want to make clear that the story shared above is a lucky example of successful cannabis growing in sand.
Honestly, I would not recommend you to spend your time and efforts in vain for a marijuana growing operation in sand, except for if you have really no other choice at all!
Sand lacks the ability to keep the moisture levels intact, and this is one of the greatest disadvantages.
However, when it comes to hydroponic cannabis cultivation, sand is sometimes pointed out as a reliable medium because it does a good job to support the roots, after all.
But apart from hydroponically grown weed, sandy soils tend to spell nothing but disaster for your crops.
First off, you must be ready to end up with quite diminished yields upon harvesting (if any at all!).
Nevertheless, if you fail to supply your marijuana plants constantly (literally constantly) with water, the sand will simply fail to sustain your plants alive due to the excessive drainage.
Then again, if you are equipped with good nutrients and a pH meter, along with a reliable water source, you do stand a chance of growing cannabis even in sand.
For supplying your green babies with water, you will either need a slow-drip irrigation system, water pumps or a naturally flowing groundwater.
Otherwise, water will simply run through the soil and your plants will fail to suck it up.
Your choice of strain will also be crucial since only sturdy and highly resistant marijuana varieties will survive to the point of growing buds.
For this purpose, autoflowering cannabis strains might be the wisest option. Your best move is to stay away from planting your emerald beauties in the sand, except for if you don’t mind facing possible failure and you are in the mood for some experiments.
On that note, seasoned cannabis growers are much more likely to reach the point of harvesting anything at all in the case of growing in sand.
As a conclusion, you can try to utilize sand as part of your supersoil mix to ensure a good drainage.
Don’t hesitate to try out sand as a growing medium in the case of opting for suitable hydroponics systems, as well.
But to make sure the energy and efforts you spend on your marijuana growing journey will be worth the hype, stay away from relying solely on the sand in order to indulge in high-quality crops with fewer chances of disappointments.