Wasting water

[Catherine F]

I know this is probably going to seem a very silly question - but in my defense I am new to veg growing!  How do you mulch and what with?  We have a large plot (well it's large in our eyes) and watering has been an issue for us this year.

[tog]

You can mulch with well rotted compost. Straw may do as well, but it will deplete nitrogen as it rot down I think.

[Catherine F]

hmm, my compost isn't that well rotted yet, would horse manure do the same thing?  At the moment I'm spreading rotted horse muck on top of the soil that being cleared, ready for digging in/rotivating at a later stage.

[tog]

hmm, my compost isn't that well rotted yet, would horse manure do the same thing?  At the moment I'm spreading rotted horse muck on top of the soil that being cleared, ready for digging in/rotivating at a later stage.

I should think that would be fine.

[antipodes]

You can mulch with a variety of things - straw is OK now, it won't rot just yet and you can always enrich that patch with manure over the winter. I get mine from a pony club so it is always full of manure and horse wee so seems overall to be a good addition.
Also you can use shredded paper (like from an office shredder), grass clippings, or even just hoe your weeds and leave them to dry on the surface if you can tolerate that. That provides a protective layer.

[Digeroo]

I would be wary of horse manure.  Unless you are very sure of it it is worth testing by growing a few broad beans in it first before you spread it around. 

I do not think is matters if compost is not that well rotted it can be dug in later or covered with some more.  Paper and cardboard can look unsightly but you can cover with compost or soil.  I get recycled compost quite cheaply. 

Leaves are good as well but tend to blow about.   But good idea to start collecting them in the autumn ready for next year most people are trying to get rid of them.  Stacked in black bin liners or a compost dalek they are ready for mulching next summer.    They also seem to really increase the numbers of worms in the soil. 

Some of the green manures phacelia, mustard, wheat etc also provide good material for mulching, grow over winter hoe off and there is the mulch.  Either grow through it or rake into a pile and wait for the plants to be a bit bigger.    For added material I grow over winter on the path areas as well.  If I need to tread on some so be it.

[antipodes]

Yes I keep forgetting about that aminopyra...wotsit, we were not affected by that.