The transition from "conventional" to organic gardening, if you maintain the mind set that all inputs to the garden must be purchased, can be just as expensive, however if you utilize materials that are most often available for free that cost can be reduced. Tree leaves make an excellent mulch which will then add organic matter to the soil. Many people that own horses make the manure available for free, but you do need to comnpost that manure before it goes onto the garden. All of your "garden waste" should be recycled right on your property since any of that that leaves is taking nutrients with it. What you need to do is work on building up the soil so it is good and healthy so the plants growing in that soil are strong and healthy, not adding "fertilizer" which only supplies a small amount of the food plants actually need.
Alfalfa, unless purchased from an organic farmer, is a fairly heavily dosed with pesticide product anyway, besides being a much too expensive source of nutrients, something the tree leaves around you could do better and at less cost.

Thanks Kimser, I dug in mulched leaves in part of it last fall, I only had time to do 2 sections due to my son getting married. I did the wedding cake! I dug in leaves in the last 4 beds this spring. I didn't have any compost this spring. The city compost stunk so bad I passed on it. I got some horse manure, mostly wood bedding, a 5 gallon bucket in each section. After what I've read this spring, I'm concerned about how much nutrition will be used up decomposing that in the soil. I'm mulching with leaves I saved from last fall, finding some black gold under them, not enough for the entire bed, so I'm putting that on the heavy feeders. Will this be enough to produce good crops this year? What more do I need to add?

I think I might be able to get some first cut alfalfa hay, which should be free of weeds, would this be good to mulch with? Should I put it on top of leaves, or can I use it alone? I'd like to use the leaves for mulch for my flowers this year and leaf mold next spring.

My SO made me a barrel composter over the winter, wasn't done in time to plant vegies, used the first batch to plant flowers, I have a huge flower bed too. I'm waiting for my 2nd batch to finsh, which is going slow. No one is mowing due to the dryness, so nothing to heat it up fast.

I know I have tons of questions up there.

Thanks bunches!
Karen

First, don't fertilize unless you need to. You don't need to keep applying Espoma (regardless of what it says on the package) unless your plants look like they need it.

If your plants are short on anything during the growing season, it's likely to be N (especially since you apparently mixed uncomposted wood chips directly into the soil -- they'll tend to rob a bit of N while they decompose). Alfalfa is fine for this. You don't need perfect NPK balance. Don't worry about the bone meal for the time being.

Make do with a little extra N boost from the alfalfa this summer if it looks like your plants need it (pale green, wimpy growth). Mulch this summer. Top dress this fall. Then, test your soil early next spring to see what if any adjustments are needed.

Don't over-complexify -- relax and enjoy your garden.

craziekaren 4,
It sounds like you are off to a great start. No where is it written that you have to compost manure before you apply it to your garden. According to Cornell Cooporative Extension, you need to wait 120 days to harvest, after adding FRESH manure, for plants that come in contact with the soil For other crops that don't touch the soil, 90 days is recommended. Don't be afraid to add manure to your soil.
After all you have done, I would only add a little bone meal and occsasional spraying with fish emulsion for the rest of the season, and then get a soil test to see what condition the soil is in.
The only other thing I would be concerned with is the pH, especially if the soil in your area is naturally acidic. Good luck! Sounds like you are doing just fine!

Ron
The Garden Guy
httpa://www.thegardenguy.org
Informative articles, ongoing garden journal and
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Thanks again! I have one of those ph meters, at the start of the season, it showed close to 8, I added a little sulfer, now it's down to 7.4-7.6. Should I add some more to lower it a little more?

Thanks
Karen

Check your pH meter to be sure it is reading correctly by checking the pH of distilled water. Many of the inexpensive meters I have seen and worked with find the pH of distilled water to be somewhere around what vinegar is or somewhere around the pH of a lime slurry, or in other words they do not give an accurate reading.

Karen,
I would add a little more to bring the pH down a bit so it doesn't tie up nutrients. Good luck with your new garden!

Ron
The Garden Guy
httpa://www.thegardenguy.org
Informative articles, ongoing garden journal and
interactive message boards - All FREE!

Thanks! I'll get some stuff this weekend the guy at the greenhouse tried to sell me a week ago when I told him what my flowers are doing. I have micro-areas where the leaves are turning yellow, and right next to them the same plant is happy. I live in lime country, and am sure part of the filling around the house is lime shale, I've sure dug a lot of it out. I can't grow poppy's or black eyed susan's, I've tried many times. Maybe adjusting the ph will help.

Thanks Again
Karen