u/astroknit

We are based in Santa Cruz and are having a large amount of concrete removed from our backyard. Our goal is to eventually have mostly native plants in our yard. The ground is very compacted and has been covered with concrete for a long time so I'm not sure what the soil is like at all, but I think natives will do ok in the bad soil? My current plan is to cover the bare soil with cardboard and mulch for the summer and fall and then start planting once the rain comes. I have several questions about what to do before we start planting this fall/winter:

• Is the cardboard + mulch covering good enough or should we do any additional soil prep?
• Should we backfill in the area where the concrete is dug up with fresh soil? Currently there's a ~4-6" drop from the sidewalk onto the dirt, but we want to add ~3" of mulch.
• Should we plant natives (including trees) before the first rains this fall or should we wait until it's raining more frequently?