Tilling a garden in the spring is a “must” for many gardeners. It is just a way of life in this part of Texas. When weather warms and the soil is dry, double-dig your new garden area. So here is what we should be planting now and shortly, in order to see the season extended well into the year. I add more straw and leaves every year. Many plant pathogens overwinter in the garden on infected plant debris. You won't have to touch the soil until just days before you're ready to plant your first seed or seedling. But if you prepare your soil in the fall while the earth is still warm and workable, your spring work effort will be greatly simplified. Then wait 4-7 days after tilling to apply compost, manure, or mulch so that the weeds that were pulled up at tilling have time to dry out and die. Removal and destruction of the diseased plant debris reduces the severity of many diseases. DIY Network outlines just a few things a gardener could -- or should -- be doing. Removal of the plant debris also eliminates over-wintering sites for some insects and helps reduce insect populations. Here’s everything you should do to get your garden ready—from cleaning out the vegetable garden to protecting trees and shrubs. If you cover your garden, you will not have to till it ever again. So when you say you don't need to till, it all depends on what you are starting with in the first place. As the last of our summer vegetable crops are harvested and the garden beds are cleared of plant debris, the fall weather is still warm enough to sow over-winter ‘cover crops’, which restore fertility and humus, and enrich the soil for planting next spring. When spring arrives, the garden is ready for a new crop. They will build your garden soil. If you plan on planting cool weather crops (like lettuce, peas or cabbage) next year, you’ll want to do some of your tilling the fall before. Break up tasks over time and work through the garden one bed or area at a time until they are all cleaned up and tucked in for winter. Fall is absolutely the best time of year to plant any tree and /or shrub. If you choose to till in the fall the best time is right before the first frost. Before the temperature drops, you can easily prepare your garden for the fall! Whether you use a "living" mulch or a conventional kind, your garden will benefit from the added protection, and your soil will be much richer thanks to your efforts. This year, I am planting a fall garden. A healthy garden starts with healthy soil. Preparing Your Vegetable Garden for Winter You can postpone the inevitable (that is, winter) for a while by covering your vegetables with old sheets or bedspreads on cold nights, but the declining hours of light and chilly daytime temperatures will naturally bring plant growth to a halt. All four of these steps are great ways to ensure a healthy, productive garden next year, and without having to use harsh chemicals and fertilizers. The close of the gardening season is always bittersweet. Improving the soil is best done in the fall. Till it and plant. It is just a way of life in this part of Texas. Often just a single tilling or forking-over … Once you’ve added any amendments in fall, you can cover the bed with sheet plastic or other covering to prevent winter rains from washing the amendments below the active root zone; this applies especially to raised beds since they drain more readily than in-ground beds. At the end of the gardening season, it’s a good idea to till the garden before “putting it to bed.” Remove large plants; add any desired amendments (sand, compost, shredded leaves, dry grass clippings); and, till the garden to enrich the soil and reduce pest habitat. So when you say you don't need to till, it all depends on what you are starting with in the first place. Use of fresh manure on vegetable gardens should be put on in the fall instead of the spring if you plant things that come in contact with the soil. To boost the amount of organic matter in your soil— beyond what you can get from finished compost— consider incorporating raw organic matter directly into the soil. You have two choices, to till or to cover your garden soil with a … The weather is cool and the humidity is low. Fall is the time for putting the garden to rest for the dormant winter season. The soil is still warm enough for roots to actively grow and yet the demand on foliage growth is waning. Here it is till or build boxes,or mound new dirt on top of the old( and you need a mountain of it) or you won't have a garden. Adding mulch to your garden in fall is a very good idea.