@CindiKS ...........
Lucky me, I get to pass on this one. I am gardening glacier debris/subsoil. The slope where the house pad was carved out of was created by glacier debris .... lots and lots of tightly compressed rocks. The house pad is 4' lower than what would be the natural top of the slope.
When I first started gardening on the house pad, I found that the "soil" consisted of tightly compressed rocks no larger than a marble, most somewhat smaller with a few fist sized stones/cobbles thrown into the mix. The dirt is clay and would be the awful stuff that everyone hates.
With all of those rocks, I can actually walk on it when it's wet without compressing the soil.
Years of mulching and watering has loosened the top of the soil enough for me to use a hand trowel to dig in bulbs. When I started, I needed a jack hammer to dig a hole.
I thought I hated the stuff, but it actually gives me excellent drainage.
I found out on the ASK A QUESTION forum that heavier mulching would not be truly more beneficial in retaining moisture in the soil, so I am going to just use my usual two inches of shredded leaves topped with wood chips. I don't have much wind in the house pad garden and the wood chips keep the leaves in place.
I wonder if you could use less expensive lava rock instead of expanded shale.
Rita .... humic acid is what is created when organic material decomposes, so adding more may or may not be good ... depending on your soil. I do know that is part of the process which has improved my soil.
Smiles,
Lyn
