Flower Garden – Flooded

Q: My flower garden was flooded and four inches of sand was deposited over it. It is too much to shovel off. When it dries out should I get someone to blow off the sand or try to dig it in?

A: I think you’re headed in the right direction but much depends on how much silt was mixed with the sand when the flooding occurred. Scoop up some of the deposited material and mix it into a quart jar of water. Shake it up and see how it settles out overnight. If there is a relatively thin layer of sand in the bottom of the jar and lots of silt above it then you have a problem. The silt will slowly suffocate plant roots underneath it in your garden and your plants will really struggle. I think you will eventually need to dig everything up and replant. Better to do it sooner rather than later.

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