Chalky Soil.

How can I improve my soil? I am looking to get maximum yield per square foot in Vegetables & Fruit.

I have a space of around:

Front Yard: 12 feet x 42 feet
Back Yard: 42 feet x 42 feet
Driveway: 12 feet x 16 feet.

Just about all of this land has a grass type which is hardy but the root system is fragmented among stones. If I dig about 2ft down I hit rock. I am in the food plain of a small stream.

The area which I am in has a chalk geology.

The area has a whole tree root system under the yard. Could this be a problem? Or is it actually a benefit? I did have a couple of trees but had to cut them down because they where to tall and to close to the property. Not to mention blocking out all of the sun to the yard. Kept one tree which is a Apple tree. Don't worry I am building a mansion for the birds at the moment. Give the natives a place to keep warm in winter.

I can get access to multiple types of mulch and any manure I want. I live rural but am also not to far away from the coast so I can get all the seaweed I need.

Brent, my guess is your soil is probably mostly fine as is. Chalky soil, or limestone soil as it is more commonly called, might be a little more alkaline than you want. You can get a soil pH kit at most garden store and test yours to see if it is alkaline. If it is, you will want to apply some sulfur to bring it back towards neutral pH. Two feet of soil is more then enough for just about anything you are going to want to grow. But you can never have too much mulch in my opinion. 2-3 inches of composted manure followed by 4-6 inches of mulch will give you great results.