Hi, Advice about poor sandy soil please?
 

This is a first post to this forum but I would like to request some detailed advice

Our garden is in a heathland area near Bagshot Sand but the site was built up 10 years ago with 'soil' which has patches of rubble and even patches of builder's sand, but all very free draining and dry and the rain seems to skirt around this locality as well! There were few plants when we moved in, except struggling leylandii hedges, now removed and laurel hedges which grow well - those plants are tough

Recycled compost was used 2 years ago and neutralised stable compost last year and most plants have been chosen to withstand dry conditions; they still need watering from the butts in the dry parts of the year but are coping. Rhodedendrons have normal coloured leaves but a wisteria planted into compost in a bore hole through the 'scalpings' of the driveway needed sequestrene (are scalpings alkaline?)

The main problem is a long shallow sandy south aspect bank under two large neighbour's copper beeches which are immediately the other side of a fence backed up by privet. The beech roots run all through this bank and have reached the surface in places, so it is not practical to dig it over

What is the best compost to use annually as a mulch, especially on the bank, please? Is an additional general fertiliser recommended, when and which one please? Can you recommend an economy SE source for c.100 bags of mulch, when, and which one?

Available choices include the recycled Council recycled garden waste from the tip. A recent sample of something like this this looked dusty, seemed to dissolve fairly quickly, and smelled a bit like the tip so it is not favourite so far. The stable waste seemed nicer and certainly did not contain viable weed seeds but seemed rather light with what may have been straw, but persisted as a skin better. Non-peat composts seem to be available either with or without john innes and 'plant food'; they seem rather expensive, are they worth it, and which one? Bark mulch seems the most expensive, but is it best?

All advice and comments would be much appreciated

[quote=greenboot;723382]This is a first post to this forum but I would like to request some detailed advice

Our garden is in a heathland area near Bagshot Sand but the site was built up 10 years ago with 'soil' which has patches of rubble and even patches of builder's sand, but all very free draining and dry and the rain seems to skirt around this locality as well! There were few plants when we moved in, except struggling leylandii hedges, now removed and laurel hedges which grow well - those plants are tough

Recycled compost was used 2 years ago and neutralised stable compost last year and most plants have been chosen to withstand dry conditions; they still need watering from the butts in the dry parts of the year but are coping. Rhodedendrons have normal coloured leaves but a wisteria planted into compost in a bore hole through the 'scalpings' of the driveway needed sequestrene (are scalpings alkaline?)

The main problem is a long shallow sandy south aspect bank under two large neighbour's copper beeches which are immediately the other side of a fence backed up by privet. The beech roots run all through this bank and have reached the surface in places, so it is not practical to dig it over

What is the best compost to use annually as a mulch, especially on the bank, please? Is an additional general fertiliser recommended, when and which one please? Can you recommend an economy SE source for c.100 bags of mulch, when, and which one?

Available choices include the recycled Council recycled garden waste from the tip. A recent sample of something like this this looked dusty, seemed to dissolve fairly quickly, and smelled a bit like the tip so it is not favourite so far. The stable waste seemed nicer and certainly did not contain viable weed seeds but seemed rather light with what may have been straw, but persisted as a skin better. Non-peat composts seem to be available either with or without john innes and 'plant food'; they seem rather expensive, are they worth it, and which one? Bark mulch seems the most expensive, but is it best?

All advice and comments would be much appreciated

[/QUOTE Sandy soils are very free draining and scalpings are usually limestone which is Alkilyne. I assume you will be growing garden plants and shrubs rather than vegetables. You need to bulk up the soil to get it to behave like a sponge but it cannot be done in one or two years.
Mulching the top is by far the best way. Mulch by spreading green lawn mowings or soft leylandii clippings, soft prunings, Shreaded prunnings from the council or tree fellers. Three inch layers over everywhere and the worms will pull it down into the ground. If you have a forestry timber yard nearby you should be able to get woodchips, bark and forest sweepings which can be mixed together to be youre final layer to look nice. Before adding more mulch next year, clear off the woodchip mulch, add whatever and then replace the wood chip.

Not only will this mulching prevent the soil drying out it will reduce youre weeding and maintenace to an absolute minimum. Be careful with Roddi's as they dont like to be 'burried. Only give them about a two inch layer within the canopy boundary.

A good all round fertilizer is 'National Growmore' which is cheap, traditional and good ithas an NPK of 5:5:5 usually equal parts nitrogen, Potahs and Phosphate. spread one handful per sq yd.
]

Thanks for all the info. but my own grass and clippings compost will not go very far

Apart from the bark on top, for appearance sake, could you say what type of mulch is best out of: garden waste from the tip, stable waste, non-peat composts with, or without, john innes and 'plant food'?