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Turning soil, sub soil and top soil
I've been digging a trench for hedging on chalk.
The top soil looks good, I try and keep in a pile, then I hit chalky rubble, and chalk dust, and these piles end up mixed.
So the sub soil and top soils are mixed, is that terrible?
Is trying to enrich deeply a fruitless task?
Should all efforts of enrichment go in the top?
Will the worms and rain just bring it all down?
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what depth is the topsoil?
Should be OK if you choose hedging that will grow on chalk, such as hornbeam, which I have. I wouldn't enrich the soil too much, just choose the right hedge. Then give it a mulch and keep it watered until it's established. There is a limestone quarry down the road from me and the topsoil here is very thin but there are still lots of trees growing in it.
About 2 feet in the best places, and then it becomes chalky rubble.
It might be a stretch calling those 2ft topsoil! Probably a nice 2 inch of nettle die back and build up at the very top.
I have common pear hedging, which is chalk tolerant, but I'm not sure to what level. I think the roots will struggle to bury their way down below when it gets too hard. But I could well be wrong in my assumption. The hedge doesn't have to get huge, 2 metres tall and thick would be fine. I'll try and put some manure on top each year once it settles down.
2 feet isn't too bad at all. It's less than that in parts of my garden before you hit rock. That's 60 cm and I grow roses in pots that deep.
I assume the chalk is rich in minerals.
I have had a few piles of big chalk pieces and roots from established trees soon bury their way into what is a rock pile, and they look quite happy. I guess the chalk holds some water.
Chalk is calcium carbonate.