On 1/5/2016 5:45 PM, Ecnerwal wrote:

IIRC, Ruth cheated on her own system a bit and tilled or plowed every
few years, but got away without it other years. More an issue with clay
than other soil types. If organized and planning to till, planting a
winter cover crop (rye being the classic) is good. If planning a bit
further ahead a planting of daikon radish can help with the
sub-structure (even if not tilling - it does some "tilling" as it grows,
and if left to rot in place adds benefits.) There is also the "no-till
roller-crimper" method of dealing with cover crops (and turning them
into mulch), which might give you another welding project for the
tractor. http://www.covercrops.msu.edu/crimper/about.html

I threw caution and my usual procrastination to the wind and ordered
seeds on January 1 for a likely too-ambitious garden. General philosophy
is moving towards more perennials (berries, etc) that don't need effort
when we have no time, but I went right ahead and ordered leeks (never
have had them work, but giving it a shot again) carrots (spotty with our
soil of clay) basil (work ok if we can keep them from getting eaten by
other things), cabbage (never have tried it since I don't like it fresh,
but the sauerkraut experiments went well) lettuce and spinach and New
Zealand spinach (often disappointing in the past) corn (usually
disappointing or eaten by raccoons) peas (can be OK if not chewed off by
rodents) tomatoes (eventually do OK, getting them anything like early is
a lot of work and or a crapshoot) and beans (usually OK, trying soy for
edamame for first time.) Also trying a "decorative spring wheat" just
for giggles. Got my garlic planted, finally, on Boxing day. That is
usually fine if I don't wait until spring.
Our plantings are so small nowadays a packet of seed generally lasts two
years and sometimes three. We keep them in the fridge sealed in an air
tight container.

We grew leeks two years ago and they got very large. Neither of us cared
for the taste so quit growing them. We broke up some clay soil back in
Louisiana years ago with a Mexican plant that got as big as your head.
The taste was good when immature but we didn't care for the taste of the
full grown root. Don't remember the name anymore. With the raised beds
and Mel's Mix from Square Foot Gardening we don't have soil problems
anymore. Reminds me I need to start mixing the mix to add to the raised
beds before to long.

Going to cut loose about a ten lb cabbage head tomorrow and turn it into
kraut. There's a six or seven lb cauliflower out there too. Wife likes
cauliflower roasted, grilled, or sauteed, I only like it pickled. Looks
like we can have all of the above with this head. Kale is going nuts as
is the chard and other winter plants. We've had so many hot days
followed by cool nights the whole garden is going nuts. The pear tree
still has its leaves, generally gone by December. Now I'm worrying it
will bloom and then we'll get a frost.

That's Texas weather, if you don't like it wait for tomorrow and it will
change, one way or another.

As for amendments, compost is always good, and if you are not using the
garden for a while, composting in place works. Sort out what else you
might want to add later, but fire up all the compost you can handle now.

I don't find a lot of benefit in most of my observed experiments with
companion planting, YMMV.