If the ripping is not required...

[StillHope]

Aloha,everyone!
I know from friends and contractors( well drilling) that my lot doesn't require ripping.
I hope to start the construction soon.
What I can ask the general contractor to do to make my land as good for gardening as it gets?
To paraphrase,what is the next best thing to ripping?
Any name for the process?
My lot in Sea View,close to the ocean if it matters.

[DanielP]

Import cinder-soil

[Carey]

It also really depends on your lot & how you like to garden... There are as many different types of gardens here as there is imagination ... bare rock flows that have glorious planting hither & yon, planted into pukas & shallows.... rivers of florals amoungst pathways of green ... lush dense forests with garden sanctuaries in & amongst trails... rock walls & depressions with lava tube pools & flowers in nooks & crannies at all levels... large expanses of green lawns with borders of trees & flowers ... bare rock expanses with a few exquisitely pruned specimens & a few well placed ornaments...

I have seen examples of all of this & more & each theme type on small city lots & multi-acre estates... (oh, I didn't include the junkers n weeds... but that grows here too...) You only need to look at what you have, & what do you want it to look like & how much upkeep do you wanna do... and of course the biggie... how much you want to invest in it...

[StillHope]

Thank you,Daniel and Carey.
Brining the soil-it goes without saying.
Type of gardening -using every space possible to grow my own fruits and vegetables.
How much I am willing to invest?- I don't have much,but whatever needs to be done - I have to do it,it might take longer if it's too expensive.

I don't have a solid lava on my lot,

as robguz said ," a'a rubble" in most of Seaview (I am

not sure what it is),and it's mostly clear -just one junk tree which

my builder promised to remove.

So my ? was - what could I ask my builder to do with the soil -fluff it?rake it?

Is this "a'a rubble" just requires soil on it,that's

all? How high should be the soil layer?

Sorry,too much questions..

[DanielP]

In A'A I think that you might want to get a medium sized dozer and just roll it or "walk" it down so you can at least walk across it.

[StillHope]

Daniel,when you say "roll it down",does it mean it will be piles of that "a'a .." thing to be removed from the lot?
Or it's what you would do with rakes and dirt,
just a kind of "fluffing "the soil?

[John S. Rabi]

Rake it?! While you might mot have blue rock you still need a dozer to make the lot good for gardening. I don't know much about gardening but I think you should do some studies to find out what you can grow at sea level.

Aloha,
John S. Rabi, GM,ARB,BFT,CM,CBR,FHS,PB,RB
808.989.1314
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
"The Next Level of Service!"

[StillHope]

Thank you,John!
I have a lot of learning to do...

[Liz]

StillHope, Maybe ask your builder to take some pics for you so you can see what you're up against.

A'a is not like soil, dirt or even rubble really. No raking or fluffing possible. It's rock that's sharp and poky and almost impossible to walk on until it's been crushed a bit. After that you'll be adding the soil to create your garden spots or beds for where you'll be planting.



aloha, Liz

"The best things in life aren't things."

[StillHope]

Thank you,Liz!
I have a lot of pictures,but the whole lot is covered with fern-type vegetation.But your explanation is very good.The picture is getting more clear.
So I need a medium dozer..Did anyone used it?
Just wondering how much it cost for 8000 sq ft lot.Any idea?