@Barbalee
Hello and
to ATP! I agree with everything
@Seedfork has mentioned already. So I'll throw my two cents in here as well.
A lot of folks as do I, believe that pine fines are a great addition to your soil. Pine fines are simply, 1/4 inch or smaller pieces of pine bark mulch. It aides in the drainage of hard clay soils. I believe it also adds some acidity to the soil. Pine fines can be a bit of a challenge to find at times but worth it IMHO.
Also, Alfalfa pellets (pure not a mix of other things) is also great as a supplement to the soil. The alfalfa adds organic material and they feed those earth worms. Being in FL I have a very sugary sandy soil and I have to add a lot of organic material, usually in the form of mushroom compost, alfalfa and a particular brand of garden soil that has pine fines in it already. This gets my garden beds where I want it.
All that said I am a rookie gardener. So, I guess the trick is to find what works best for you and don't forget to have a soil sample done to find out what you dirt really is lacking... Good Luck
