You can't lose putting an inch or two of good quality compost on the surface of your raised beds.

Hope you see back to full health soon.

Joseph

You can put stuff on top and much of it will decompose over the winter and work its way into the soil. What doesn't decompose can be viewed as mulch and moved aside for planting or you can even plant directly in it (lasagna gardening).

Ooouch, sounds painful! I can only suggest maybe sowing a ground cover to grow 'till really cold weather and then maybe smile sweetly and get some STRONG MANLY help in spreading a layer of manure or compost ... then let nature do its magic and in the spring you will be all healed and ready to garden .... how's tha for a plan?

Thanks for such fast answers. Since I have spent most of the summer laid up, my composting is "nil", and I never seem to have enough of it anyway. I think perhaps the idea of the ground-cover until cold weather would help. What is a good one? Since DH passed away, I am all out of good ideas. Unfortunately I am not too smart in that area anyway. Seems like I remember him talking about clover but I have no idea of what kind or how long to let it grow before spading it under. Sorry I am so dense about this kind of stuff. Anyway, thank you so much. - I think perhaps I will have to tuck my roses away without too much cover this winter. Barb

Something I've learned with age [73 yrs] is not only how to ask for help, but amazingly how eager people are to help. Family, neighbors, & church folks seem to get a kick out of hauling and digging. Portia's 'QUALITY OF MERCY' speech expresses the gist of that dynamic...snip...."The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: ....." Anyway, maybe someone in your circle would rather enjoy putting your garden to bed for the winter.

Re: what kind of cover crop ... our climates are so different ... I scatter flax seed around, and nasturtium are my winter/spring 'cover crop'. Maybe someone else here can chime in with a suggestion. But, depending on what help you have available, I'm thinking that several bales of straw combined with leaves, etc. might be the easiest, qickest way to keep your soil protected over winter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Portia's speech

Compost, and other forms of organic matter, are almost always a welcome addition to any soil, but you should still, if this has not been done for a awhile, have a good, reliable soil test done. Talk with the people at your local office of the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service about having that done and dig in with these simple soil tests,
1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.
to see what else might need be done to make that soil into a good, healthy soil that will grow strong and healthy plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: Purdue CES

I find mulching/lasagna to be easier. Each fall I do that to at least one area or bed, and by spring it has pretty much broken down and the soil is nice and rich. Most years I at least mulch all beds with some leaves.

I also compost in 2 bins. I have a batch to spread 2 or 3 times a year. The areas or plants that seem most in need get that finished compost.

So, it doesn't have to be one or the other. You can use various methods at the same time as you wish. Final result will be more OM for the soil.

Karen

barbroselover -
One nice thing to spread on top of your raised beds would be autumn leaves, preferably after having been run over by the lawnmower. I'm guessing someone else mows your lawn? (I dislocated my shoulder in December; I know I couldn't have mown for a while after!) If so, and if they can bag part of what they mow in the autumn, you can have them dump the mower bags onto your raised beds. A nice mix of chopped leaves and cut grass together is fantastic, but leaves alone are also great.

As for cover crops, they do add a lot of goodness to the soil, but I hesitate to suggest them to someone who's describing difficulty digging - they sometimes do take some real work when it's time to turn them under. Clover is nice though - even if you don't turn it all under, it's a pretty nice companion to other plants! I like just white clover; it's low and lushly green. Red clover is lovely (and attractive to bees), but won't flower between now and winter, and can get tall and scraggly.

lcpw (used to live in Indiana - now in Missouri)

I agree with borderbarb. I'm sure there are people in your area who would love to help you if they knew of the need. Gardeners are the greatest.

Have you been to the site here that is specific to Indiana? I mentioned on OK Gardening here on gardenweb that I would be unable to do early gardening due to breast cancer treatments and had volunteers to do it all from people I had never met except onlin1e! I was overwhelmed.

I especially like the chopped leaves idea too, that would not be a lot to ask of someone if you are hesitent about "imposing".

Fava beans are a great nitrogen-fixing cover crop, as well as providing tons of stalks that can be buried under mulch to break down.
They're extremely cold-hardy, but I probably have a more Southern-hemisphere definition of 'cold'!
When I'm done with the plants, I just snip them off at ground-level with secateurs.
And you can eat them.

Thanks everybody for your replies. I have a few years on BorderBarb and have always hated to admit I couldn't take care of myself. Since I fell and separated my shoulder, I have to admit-- I can't always do so and unfortunately it has made me hesitant to take on some of this stuff. The kids at my church are standing by to help with the leaves,but I guess I am still proud. My son and DIL have been very helpful, but I feel they have their on obligations. I am afraid I have swallowed and asked anyway, even though I don't want to. I'm working on it- Barb

I bet the kids at your church will go home feeling proud and happy after helping you. I do know what you mean about not wanting to ask for help ... but ... as you work through it, try to remember that you're giving them something too.

And you're not ONLY giving them the chance to feel good at having helped someone - some of them may actually enjoy the process: being outdoors, being physically active, getting the chance to see your garden ... there are lots of ways that helping with the leaves might be pleasing to the helpers!!

I don't know about others but when my Aunt and Uncle across the road call me for help I consider it an honour and privilege. They're in their eighties now and my Aunt still grows her own garden and maintains a huge yard.

My advice, use the kids at your church, show them what you want done and tell them the purpose for doing it (kids are like sponges and learn stuff whether they intend to or not, might as well try to put something useful into the grey matter), I don't think you will be disappointed.

Lloyd

P.S. Heck, show them how to scavenge OPBSL for you, they will remember that for a long time.