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Manure
This can vary in quality, depending on the animal it came from and the farming system. For example, manure from horse stables is better than from intensively farmed cows where little straw bedding is used. Whatever its origin, don’t apply it fresh - it releases ammonia that damages or kills plants. Let it ‘mature’ or rot down for six months.
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| Leaf mould
You’ll only get this if you’re lucky enough to have a patch of woodland in your own garden, or if you can collect a lot of dead leaves to rot down. Whatever you do, don't go collecting it from woods.
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| Composted bark
This is the next best thing to leaf mould, available in bags from most garden centres. It looks rather similar to coarse peat but holds moisture without going ‘boggy’. Chipped bark (pictured left) is a substitute commonly used for mulching.
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| Mushroom compost
Nowadays it is often peat based, rather than the traditional rotted horse manure. It tends to be alkaline because of the chalk used in the mix, but if your soil isn’t already alkaline, mushroom compost is not a bad source of organic matter. It is always a good idea to check your soil pH first.
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 | Garden compost
A very cheap and convenient option, and usually richer in nutrients than other types of organic matter. Find ou thow to make it yourself in a compost heap, piled with kitchen and garden waste.
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| Peat
Nowadays increasing concern at the environmental damage caused to wetland habitats by peat extraction means that responsible gardeners are using alternatives. Anyway, peat contains almost no nutrients and breaks down quickly.
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Recycled materials
There are all sorts of weird and wonderful concoctions – anything from county council waste to shredded bank notes! A good idea is to call your council for details of their own recycling schemes, and keep an eye on what is on offer in garden centres.
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