I am in Pa not Ga, but I see you posted a while ago, with no response, and the Pa forum is dead as a doornail. I can give non-specific sources and then tell you if you have a LOWES or HOME DEPOT even Busy beaver, they should have pine bark mulch, but is likely too expensive by the bag. Try to locate a wood mill in your area, maybe pine bark or wood chips/sawdust is available. Also, try the soil, mulch compost site. My area has a compost dump site, maybe yours doesn't but I would try to find out. Christmas trees, fall leaves, tree trimming places may dump there and grass clippings all get put in windrows and make compost free to take. Hopefully you can find out if your township does this, and you can get free compost, or at least gather some of the materials they get dumped in their site. I get my fall leaves and pine straw there for using in compost and as mulch under my shade trees. I hope I helped you, even though I am far from you. If you have a farm supply near you in the phone book, ask them how to get these things you need.

I'm not in your area and most of my advice won't do you a lot of good this season, but ... set aside a place to make your own compost and you don't need to buy! I get a cheap, unwanted spring hay or straw and it makes a rich compost. I add leaves, horse manure from my pasture, wood ashes and charcoal, and many other things. I double dig my beds and mix it well in, checking PH.

If I must buy, I purchase cheap top soil and composted manures to mix my own. I may also add in some good potting soil so it's a three way blend but you are right, that stuff is way expensive if you need a lot of it like I do so I don't buy much of it. I also add in some of my native red clay for minerals but break it up and mix well.

For mulch, I get /dump truck/ loads delivered for free from the electric company. Now mind you it's chipper shredded mixed woods, not pine bark, etc but it works great for me. I sort out larger pieces if I am using it containers around my plants and the larger bits go into the big garden or the compost pile. Some tree trimmers will also give it away for free if you call around.

As noted already, there are free compost areas so check around. Probably your local Master Gardeners and any Victory Garden goers in your area will also have sources to share.

What Ornery pony said. If per chance the horse or other manure is scarce. You may laugh at this, but.... I purchase rabbit manure from Ebay. a box is usually about 15 bucks after shipping. It is a cool manure, so you can use it without composting, or add to compost. I put some in water and let it soften and use to water some plants. It has NPK, not sure of the amount, and may depend on the food the bunnies were fed. Just a thought. You may prefer to buy fertilizer, but there are good bacteria in it, and it is natural. It's your call. It usually has more good stuff per ounce than horse or cow poo, so is concentrated, but if you can get cow/horse poo free, and in a large load, you may do better with that.

I need to learn the ropes before I get started?⦠been reading, but don't have an ounce of experience...