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Oh yeah, I forgot. So if we did cover crop the plot, I am still confused about what the "digging under" looks like when the crop has run its course and it's time to plant. Do I have to go in there with a tiller? Just mow it down? Use a spade? Will it turn into a weedy mess?
I don't know how nitrogen crops set seed, but with any plant you get rid of the seed before turning it over. So if it is a grassy thing I guess you would mow it, rake the stalks and remove them for mulch. Then use a shovel to turn over the soil. If there is root materials there, depending on how big it is, remove it or leave it to break down.
I've had good luck putting soil on top of a lasagna garden made in the spring and planting into the soil. As it composts down, it does generate some heat which helps the plants. You may need a bit of nitrogen to compensate for the composting process. One year I had tomatoes in a bed like that when an unpredicted frost hit. They were the only tomatoes in the whole garden to survive.
Well, good news! Just back from the garden where the compost coordinator showed me our plot. They already chucked a goodly amount of leaves on it, and I will continue to add coffee grounds. It is a muddy mess right now but as I bring more grounds over, I might try to add a layer of leaves from the community pile every time. Little by little we'll build it up.