We’re in Missouri, too. I’m hoping to clear a few more garden beds, load them with grass and leaf clippings and then plant some winter rye. Hoping the new beds will be ready for plants in the spring.
It’s a race to beat the winter weather for us that’s for sure. I also have a bed or two that I just pile high with straw, and leaves and stuff.
About a month before spring planting time, I work it all in, if it hasn’t decomposed enough.
Now the other day, I was reading about raising watermelons. They advised putting down several layers of newspaper in the spring, and at least 3 inches of mulch such as straw.
Then poke a hole in the newspaper to transplant into the soil. Supposed to help keep disease down and help with water retention during our dry months.