What about tilling, then planting a cover crop that looks good through your winter?

We have sometimes done that though it has to be able to sprout pretty late - we clean up here this weekend.

goodscents, I have to say goodgrief!...trying to please and fit in with the needs of all those different people and schedules.

With my different plots of grond, I do about all the different tilling treatments. Some that are loose and amended may get little tilling except to work in some organic matter in the fall. Other spots that are heavier don't get any early tilling, but do require it for planting.

You didn't say what type of soil you are dealing with. For really heavy soils, fall tilling might be best. For sandy soils, maybe no systematic tilling would work unless there is a general adding of composts.

General thoughts: fall tilling is more likely to be done while the soil is drier, preventing rock hard clods from forming in wet soil. Even if it is damper and forms clods, winter's freeze-thaw tends to break them down. And, OM applied in the fall has a chance to decompose further, getting nutrients freed up and ready for spring absorption by plant material. Insects often overwinter in garden debris. If that OM is worked into the soil, insects are less likely
to make it through the winter. Pathogens are also less likely to overwinter if old plants are worked into the soil. Fall is the logical time for me.
hortster

It depends on the soil. If what you have is clay and there is not enough organic matter in that soil then you probably need to spring till, but if there is sufficient organic matter in the soil there may not be a need to spring till, unless a winter cover crop is seeded.
If the soil is sand, and a winter cover crop is not seeded there probably will be no real need to spring till. If we get our "community garden" properly prepared yet this fall, well mulched so none of the winter "weeds" grow we won't need to think about spring tilling because the soil is sand.

Tilling is not necessary. Clean up the gardens in fall, then simply laydown an organic mulch such as chopped leaves. Weeds will not sprout, the soil will be fed, and you will not destroy the tilth (structure) of the soil. (Do I need to mention tilling only kills the biosphere that makes soil instead of dirt?)

"destroy", "kills", pretty strong words. I know many gardeners and farmers who till and their crops/gardens produce just fine. Perhaps excessive tilling is detrimental, but an occasional tilling isn't going to lead to the complete destruction of your soil.

If I had to pick only one season to till, I'd pick fall so that I could work in some nice shredded leaves and grass clippings.

Lloyd

A community garden is a horse of a different color. What most of us do in our gardens may not work. Some people will grow kale so the earliest you could till is early winter. I am not a big fan of hauling and spreading mulch to keep weeds under control until people plant in spring. I prefer to plant flax in the very very early spring. You can mow it and plant no-till or shallow till in the spring. Seven top turnips greens can also be planted very very early as a cover but require a bit more till to uproot. At least people could eat it. Alternate strips of both could provide choices.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crop Rotation

I am with you, Lloyd.
Greengarden, I think turnips make a great cover crop.
I have a deer mix of naked oaks,winter peas & wheat on a plot I hope to plant clover on in the Spring, to keep the deer off my southern peas.

I have raised beds, so don't till, but I vote for tilling in the fall. You said the landlord wants the gardens to disappear during the winter, so I would till, add a bunch of leaves/grass clippings/UCGs etc, cover with cardboard to discourage weeds and let the snow cover them for the winter!
That way if you have a wet spring, all you have to do is uncover it and fluff it up in the spring. Good to go! Nancy

On the no-till method - farmers are getting increased yields of wheat by planting tillage radish with their crop seed. The radish, being annual, stores food until winter then dies. It decomposes in spring, releasing nutrient to the wheat and increasing yields. Probably would work for any no-till situation, but doesn't smell good when it begins to decompose.
hortster

horster,
I planted some tillage radishes last spring to see if they smelled bad when they rot. Well, I never smelled a thing from them. They went to seed and died. I mowed them up and tilled a bit. They volunteered a fall crop that is growing now. It is possible that winter killed ones "smell" differently. Time will tell next spring as I have 3 plots of them growing now.

Thanks for all your comments, I appreciate the help and advice.
Kirk