can you help?

[manda74]

I've been offered some mulch, the lady is making her own up in 3 different mixes.
Mix 1: Cardboard/hay/rabbit poo
Mix 2: Megazorb/straw/hay/rabbit poo
Mix 3: Woodshavings/straw/hay/rabbit poo
She said it is good to use but i am new to this and would like some advice before i go and get some and mix it in with my soil/compost. should i go for it and which one would be best if i do?
I am going to be growing veg in raised beds when i eventually finish digging the soil, so i want to know what you think

[taff]

I'd go for number 1 first, then number 2, not number 3 because woodshavings are brown rather than green waste in compost terms [ don't know how to explain it in an easier way] and will take longer to rot down and take nutrients out of the soil instead of putting them in.
I'd stick it on the compost heap instead of using it as mulch.

[manda74]

Thank you taff. Will it be ok to mix in and put my veg straight in or do i have to wait like you do with manure?

[taff]

mulch is used on top of the soil/compost to keep more moisture in, there's no need to add it to what you're growing in unless you have heavy soil.
I don't know if you're growing in containers or in the ground. If it's the former i assume you'll be using compost to fill, so just use it as a mulch on top because containers dry out quickly.
If the second one, and if it looks more like compost - broken down quite a lot - mix it in with your soil if it's heavy soil, or use as a mulch if you have light sandy soil.
If it's still quite rough, use as a mulch.
Did that make sense?

[manda74]

I'm using raised beds Taff. I have quite sandy soil and will be mixing in compost to fill them. So i just use it on top after planting to keep moisture in, is that right?

[taff]

Yup.
Then when your veggies are finished growing, dig it all in to bulk up the soils water holding capacity.