Sandy soils

Like sand itself, sandy soils are:

· permeable.

When it rains on sandy soil, the water passes through easily.
You can walk on sandy soil after rain.
Sand does not stick to the feet like clay.
Sand does not make mud. It is

· easy to work.

After the first rains, sandy soils are easy to work; they do not stick to tools like clay.
Sandy soils are called light soils.

· unstable.

The grains of sand do not stick together.
In the rainy season, water easily carries them away.
In the dry season, the wind can lift them up and carry them a long way. In the northern savannas people speak of a sand wind.
Groundnuts, cassava, yams and coconut trees grow very well in sandy soils; the roots easily penetrate them.
But sandy soils hold water and mineral salts badly.