Hi all!
I am new to rock gardening and could need some advice on soil composition. The thing is I have a dry stone wall made up of rounded granite stones. The wall acts as a support for the garden soil in the descent of a garage in the basement of my house. I thought it would be nice to use the wall as a rockery. As it is now the gaps between the stones are filled with the surrounding garden soil, which must be quite fertile since nettles and dandelions thrive. However, after killing of the weeds I will dig out the soil between the stones and fill the cavities with some new soil suitable for alpines. I know there are alpines with different needs and there is no soil that suits all. Nevertheless I want to make a soil that will be OK for as many species as possible, a sort of general soil. The components I consider to add are: Coco coir (I want to avoid peat), washed horticultural grit (1-3 mm), pumice (2-8 mm), pelleted horticultural clay (2-6 mm), crushed limestone (2-6 mm) and pelleted lime powder (for instant pH increase). If I will plant som acidohiles I'll skip the limestone/lime powder.
So, can anyone give some advice if I should add or remove some components and what proportions I should have?
Best regards/
Henrik