So you are talking about winter cover, correct? Why not consider a green manure or ground cover crop instead? Far more beneficial to the soil.

As for Fall applications of leaves and/or pine straw to garden beds, if your climate is such that it will decompose well prior to spring tilling/turning and planting, great.

That never works in my location and it would all have to be raked off prior to tilling and planting. Leaves, even shredded, can take over a year to decompose to leaf mold. If it is not well decomposed then you will be dealing with nitrogen-binding problems. Sure you can off-set those by the addition of lots of high nitrogen supplements but that is only adding costs to a problem that didn't need to be there in the first place. Many discussions about all this over on the Soil & Mulch forum.

Composting it all out of the garden and then applying it in the spring is much more beneficial to your soil and eliminates any concerns about the issues.

How accurate are the claims about pill bugs etc? All depends on who you ask. Climate plays a big roll and what works or doesn't work for one doesn't mean it would be the same for all. I know some claim that pill/sow bugs have "destroyed my garden" but personally I have never found either to be anything other than a minor problem in a well balanced garden.

Dave

Dave, you are very knowledgeable and I appreciate your advice! My winters tend to be long with lots of snow and/or rain. I think I will focus on leaves in a compost bin instead of in the garden bed. Do you think plants decay fast enough, such as spent tomato plants? Or how about grass? I have never put any kind of leaves or pine needles into the garden for fall and this is my second year doing a raised bed but in a new location. I need to amend the soil and I don't think the previous "tenant" did much to the soil. I was intending to put leaves but since they won't break down in time I will look at manure instead. This guy's comment about pill bugs just worried me and I wondered if there was any truth to his statement but I like the idea of composting the leaves until they are broken down and then using them.

Thanks for your help!

I mix shredded leaves and grass clippings (about a 2-3 inch layer of each) into my soil in the fall every year. By the time spring rolls around everything is pretty much composted/eaten by worms (lots of worms in my beds in spring). There's usually some stray leaf remnants left in the soil but they aren't a problem.

Now as a mulch the shredded leaves won't decompose over winter and I have to rake them off in spring before planting.

Rodney

Do you think plants decay fast enough, such as spent tomato plants? Or how about grass?

Tomato plants, no. They need to go to the compost pile too. Grass yes (make sure it hasn't been treated with weed killers).

Rodney's suggestion of mixed well shredded leaves and grass tilled in can work but will still likely require some rake-off in spring in zone 6 of left over leaves.

But since soil improvement is the primary goal then a planted cover crop that can be tilled in in early spring is the best option. If you make it one of the N rich green manure cover crops so much the better.

Turnip seed, radishes, any of the legume cover crops, hairy vetch, crimson clover, etc. can be inexpensively seeded over the entire bed to grow all winter, tilled in in early spring 2-4 weeks prior to planting. Provides winter protection and does wonders for the soil.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Cover Crops

I can do that! Radish seeds are easy to come by. If I use leaves I will be sure to shred them or just leave then in a compost pile. I am glad I asked because I would have just put the leaves as is on top of the soil. Learning to improve soil this year and it is all new to me :). Thank you both!