Another mulch question!

You don't mulch with bark unless it is a static herbaceous border or the like; not for veg plots.  What you need is something like your own home made compost, lawn clippings etc and just mulch around the base of plants likely to suffer in dry weather. you should find the mulch will be dragged down by worms or you can just hand-scrape the mulch back and put it in the compost bin if you need the soil for another crop; otherwise just leave it to be pulled down.

The only digging I do is to fork out potatoes and form trenches for things like leeks and planting in Squashes with their neighbouring watering pots. No digging for me!

Now it all makes sense.
Many thanks.
I shall continue to use the grass cuttings from my large lawn, and try to see if my own compost is ready yet.