If they're growing ok, you don't have to do anything, besides eat them.

I'd leave the beds alone until spring now Hank, the soil will likely be wet and cold and as you don't grow winter veg. leave them in peace!

Earlier in the fall, starting a cover crop, such as peas and oats, or broad beans, etc., might have been beneficial. It's too cold for that now, though, probably. Ah, well..many of my garden projects wind up as "next years", too. :)

Not sure how well these 'green manure' cover crops really work Tugb.with us, for example if we sowed broad beans in, say, October they would simply sit and do very little overwinter and then start growing in the spring when you need them out to get your actual veg. in. Good idea in theory but i think it depends on where you live.

Thanks, I guess I'll leave them alone for now, and look forward to next year.

Hmmm...so in Scotland, at least, the cover crops would need to be sown in September, when many of the summer and fall crops wouldn't be done yet. So, unless you were starting a new bed, which would benefit from some deep root action, or kept the bed fallow the previous season, a simple thick mulching would do just as good. Maybe cover crops are more useful in the milder regions of the UK.
Come to think of it, they aren't much used above 1850 m elevation, here in Arizona, although they are often useful below that.

A good thick layer of mulch seems to work very well for me. Usually fallen leaves just piled into the veggie bed. However, I still have carrots left in I can harvest when needed. By end of March most of the leaves are completely broken down and turned under making a super rich growing medium full of earthworms.

I think a good thick layer of mulch work far better to be honest Tugb.

Its too late now but I had a successful early crop of broad beans a couple of years ago, sown in autumn under a polythene tunnel cloche.
(Didn't work last year as we had a storm and a large animal must have tried to shelter in it with disastrous results...)

Mulch is still easier and guaranteed Stera. Remember Hank i talking about rises beds not something under cover :)

I like your idea B, I have more than enough of fallen leaves to spread on both beds. I guess every little helps.

Other than the root action, a thick mulch with an organic fertilizer does the same thing as a cover crop.

Thanks T.

MG, agree mulch is a lot easier but doesn't make good green soup in late spring... and beans add nitrogen too. And you can mulch round the beans as well,lol, and have the best of both worlds..

Well as I'v already said, you can plant broad beans outside in autumn up here - they simply sit and rot...