[muckyboots]

Hi, I was thinking of buying a bulk bag of mulch as my soil dries out quite quickly,I have used my own compost which is limited on my veg patch, but not sure what would be the best type to order for general use.Can anyone give me any ideas or recommendations.Cheers

[mumofstig]

Not bulk bags, but I Used a lot of this last year and liked it, as did the veg 

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Gro-Sure-Farmyard-Manure---50L-NF/p/132290

[snowdrops]

Free is the best lol, I get well rotted horse manure from a local stables, & last year I sourced some county compost from just down the round for  £25 a ton, might be worth looking into for your area?

[Subversive_plot]

If you have an area with deciduous trees, and a lawn mower with a bagger, chopped leaves are excellent, and free! That will retain moisture, and reduce the weeds.

If you don't have time to wait until next autumn  you will probably find that some of the less expensive potting soil is mostly organic matter, like chipped fine bark and wood, slightly composted.  That also keeps moisture in, and helps control the weeds.

[muckyboots]

Thanks all ,that gives me some ideas to work on ,having not ventured out for some time I think a careful trip to a local garden centre is on the books .I have saved some leaves but they do take a while to rot down, also a trip to our local horse sanctuary will be investigated, does It matter what they are bedded on I've heard that chippings are not to good for the soil.Thanks again for the tips.

[Yorkie]

I would avoid chippings as they take a long time to rot down and will rob the soil of nitrogen while they are doing so.  They are also quite large and thus might impact on small seedlings as they grow.

Re. the manure, check with the stables whether the horses have been fed on, or the hay come from, grass which has been treated with herbicides in the aminopyralid family.  If this risk cannot be excluded, you might be best advised to avoid it as this will affect certain plants' growth.

[muckyboots]

Thanks Yorkie,I will make enquiries about those items ,It seems like a minefield getting good old fashioned organic material without running into some chemical you didn't know was there.I will keep on composting as much as possible as  well,I know what is in that.Cheers.