Now that it's nasty outside, ie: rain/cold/rain/cold.....

What can i do for my now empty garden?

I've been collecting yard waste such as leaves/grass, and dumping it on top of garden area, when is the best time to roto till?   One day after rain, two days, three days of no rain?

I live in NW Indiana and we live on a sand bar, so it drains pretty fast. I don't want to clump up and try to plow through concrete.

How do i put my garden to bed for the winter?

My garden is small, ten feet by 16 feet.

 I was figureing on rototilling it a couple of times to get the ground nice and open. Then putting newspapers i have been collecting on top of that(NO GLOSSY).To Keep weeds from spouting while garden is waiting to be planted.

Then as a final touch some composted manure, or just black dirt, to keep everything from blowing away.

Would these steps be satisfactory for next years garden?

Am I missing anything?

I have a question about watering.

First off Let me tell you what I do know:

 I do know you have to water your garden when the skys don't.

I don't use a sprinkler, and only rarely by hand,usually I only water by hand when i first plant.

What I do is us a 'soaker hose'.  This is a hose that actually 'weeps' water instead of a 'flow' of water.   Before laying mulch down, after i plant, i weave a soaker hose around all my plants, trying to circle each one at about 10 inches away. Then I lay down the mulch, I prefer cedar, helps to keep some bugs away.

After about three days of NO rain, I'll 'soaker' the garden for twelve to fourteen hours. Everything seems to be working.

Now finally, my question LOL

Is this the correct way to water my garden, and should i water longer?

The soaker is not visible, but if i move the mulch after the allotted time the ground is moist.

I have a small garden 20'X10'