lots and lots of shredded leaves!!!!! You could also add the alfalfa as a green.
Or better yet just add layers like a lasagna bed, if nothing is planted yet.

Lee

I agree with the shredded leaves, I would also suggest some peat moss this year....If you are not going to plant until next year I might also suggest some kind of cover crop/green manure over the winter, to be tilled in about a month before planting your perenneals. My favorite is a mixture of ryegrass & clover.

I also vote shredded leaves. Instead of buying alfalfa pellets I would try to get ahold of some grass clippings. Layer them on the bed, throw some coffee grounds on. Water it real good.

I started a bed like that last fall next to the house. (soil was bank run) When I dug into it this spring I couldnt believe the worms.

good luck
Carey

p.s. I did find that the leaves would blow into the neighbors yard at first. I started double shredding (run over them 2x with the mower) and then bagging them. The extra shredding and good watering kept them in place.

Here is a picture of a lasagna bed I started this spring. Fall would have been alot better, but herniated a disk so I had to wait until spring. I planted in it about a month or so after building it. I also used no edging, as I find it is easier to just use the weed wacker on edge once a month or so and clean up the edges. Leaves nice clean lines that way. Had a few weeds at first, but now it is just a couple a week. This is a tropicalesque garden so mostly bananas and cannas, and elephants ears etc. with a few other annuals and perennials thrown in. Just about everything was grown from seeds, except the bananas and elephant ears. This picture was taken about a month ago. Everything is much bigger now.

{{gwi:153978}}

Lee

Composted manure, it'll add micronutrients as well as the staples like phosphorus and nitrogen, Manure and bloodmeal comprise most everything that grows out of the ground, green manure is also a good choice, cowpeas will provide nitrogen as well as produce an edible crop.

Thanks for all of your suggestions and your beautiful picture. I remember you post earlier! Haven't had much luck with lasagna beds because it is really arrid here and things don't tend to break down as quickly as in a humid area. Tried it last winter on a smaller bed and just about everything- newspaper, straw, grass- is still there.
So... Here is my plan, right now. Till 5-6 inches and get rid of big rocks. Then till in well composted sheep manure, home made compost (good stuff), and lots of leaves. I'm trying to decide 1. if I should try a green manure over top. Problem with that is the short growing season. Planting cow peas would be ideal, but don't know if they would grow enough to help. or 2. spread CGM and cover with wood chips, hoping they won't blow away in our VERY windy area this winter.
What do you think?

Do you plan on planting seeds at all? Otherwise cgm will prevent them from sprouting. Not sure for how long, a guess would be a couple months. If your just looking for an organic fertilizer, I would think that alfalfa or soybean meal would be cheaper?
The rest sounds good. If you can get burlap you could put that over the top of everything and stake it down, It will help keep moisture in and stop things from blowing around. That is what the do with the INTERBAY lasagna style.

Lee