Beansprout,
I have answered this thread 3 times now and it keeps disappearing...
My soil is sandy, but has little to no nutrients it seems. While things will grow there, they struggle and do poorly. Usually some bug does them in because they aren't strong enough. The aphids destroyed 2/3 of our garden this year, and the tomatoes just never got healthy. Although, I am beginning to believe that it is next to impossible to grow a decent tomatoe down here. Once the aphids destroyed everything we tilled it all under and have since put a layer of manure on it. I have put cardboard and newspapers down and am currently covering it with a thicker layer of manure, then I plan to pile on about 12-18 inches of mulched leaves and tree mulch. I drove past a tree service place the other day and they had a mountain of tree mulch just composting away. It was ground up really pretty well, almost like dirt already. They are bringing me a dump truck load full this morning. What I don't use on the garden and around the shrubs I will just let compost.
You can never have enough compost, right?

Yankee,

Your posts are here...it sounds like you have a good start, with the mulch, and layers you have described.

I haven't had time to do much at all in my garden. I have been so bummed-out with the wilt & disappointing results, but I will plant some garlic, and a couple other things & try to winterize what I can.

Thanks,
Vicki

I've been told seaweed takes lots of time to break down, like a year. Still, we have thought of adding it to the garden this fall. I've thought it'd be best ti dig it in, not layer it with other
soil enhancers? What do you suggest?

Thanks

I'd like cover crop suggestions-what could be planted now on my raised beds (where tomatoes, potatoes, & beans grew -root veggies & cole crops still doing well)? The difficulty of tilling in next spring is a concern.

hhastings,

I bought a cool weather cover crop mix from Peaceful Valley. It has two kinds of vetch, peas, fava beans, and oats. The first sowing is lush and knee-high. I planted some last weekend that is just coming up so I don't know how that will do. Some of it will probably freeze out in January but it's planted pretty thick so I should still have green stuff to turn under in the spring.

I also have winter wheat sprouting from seeds from my straw mulch. Here in Oklahoma, they let cattle graze the winter wheat, then take them off of it in the spring in time for it to grow and make a wheat crop. It's really hardy. I'll have that if nothing else makes it.

People that need to worry about pests and diseases overwintering in the garden do not have a good, healthy garden, yet. A properly prepared garden will develop "immunities" to those pests and diseases over time, the same as we do, given half a chance, when exposed to pathogens. With winter coming on you may want ot spend some time with Dr. Hoitinks paper, http://plantpath.osu.edu/faculty/LeonPaperfinalHAJH1.pdf on this subject.
But a well prepped garden, composted and mulched will also harbor those bacteria that will kill off the pathogens, if allowed to. By applying the compost and mulch you provide the environment the Soil Food Web needs, refer to the article edited by Scott Meyer in the current Organic Gardening magazine issue, which is what you need to have a good, healthy soil.

cool more of you blowing hot air without giving a real answer.