What’s the difference between sand and soil?

Question

I always though vegetation can’t grow on sand, but then there was this news about a mini forest pop up after the monsoon rain in Saudi Arabia.

In: 4

Answer 1

Sand are particles of Silicon Dioxide. Soil is a mixture of minerals (which might include some sand), organic matter, water, and air.

Plants can’t grow in pure sand, sure, but sand only goes so far down and if enough water and organic matter gets mixed in with the sand, then it has essentially become a kind of soil.