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soil improver - best for retaining moisture

Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340

After another extremely dry summer my borders are suffering badly. The only thing that has done really well since June is the cosmos - thank goodness. 

I make compost, but no where near enough to cover a significant part of the garden, so I was going to buy some sort of soil improver.
I'm on good ol'Essex clay which has been like concrete for the past couple of months.

What should I get?


Billericay - Essex

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Posts

  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904

    Composted manure. It depends on your budget Pete but it's black gold apparently. If buying it in bags is out of the question, try to find a stables or livery nearby. They should have the odd wee bit lying about. image

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340

    Completely agree pp.

    Lots of local stables, and they offer it free, but they don;t deliver and I'd need a lot, so was going to order online and get it in bags.
    I've seen it for £115 for 36 x 75L bags, which is OK, but there are several varieties - horse or cow or farmyard or mushroom. The mushroom looks like the best stuff (lots of straw bits), but will make more soil more alkaline than it already is


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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