White stone like deposits in soil

Hi all,

I was digging up weed bulbs in my garden and noticed that in one area the soil was of the clay type but also felt "crunchy" when my spade when through. There were lots of very small pockets of white rock-like deposits in the soil. (Amongst pockets of very red soil.). The rest of the garden does not have this issue. It's right next to where a shed and concrete base was built.

I'm going to be putting down cardboard and mulch this week. Is there anything I should do to this bit of soil before? Anything I should add to the mulch layers?

It's also in a permanently shaded spot so I don't want a nightmare of trying to plant things next year.

Thanks!

 

From those pictures, it looks like the builders have buried a lot of rubble in that area. If it's next to the concrete base for a shed, that's pretty normal.

If you're going to grow stuff there, extract all the bits of stone and brick. If you're just going to mulch it to stop things growing, it probably doesn't matter.

 

It is quite natural for lime lime/stone deposits to form in the soil. Were the findings of much larger proportions, I would be tempted to be concerned.

 

Thanks @Mike Allen, @Graham B and @JWK.

I've taken out a lot of the concrete and stones now.

My soil pH tester arrived and the reading is pH 4.5 in that spot! A little further away it's 6.5 and at the other end of the flower bed its 7.

Should I take out a lot of the large patches of red clay and replace it with excess topsoil (ph7) from part of my lawn (that the builders turned into a mini hill).

Can I just mix it in with the acidic soil? And then mulch over with organic matter and cardboard etc.

 

If you know it's acidic there, make use of that and pick a plant which likes those conditions. Heather, witch hazel, magnolia or camellia will love it.