Kitchen Garden Forum

Has anybody out there any experience of planting on an area from where brambles have been recently cleared? I am currently cutting out and burning a huge mass of brambles -it's great fun!- and intend to use the area in March to plant my potato crop. How knackered will the ground be? The interesting thing about brambles is that although they take up a lot of space, the actual roots are concentrated in relatively small areas, so the earth remains relatively weed free. Ergo sum, it shouldn't have had a lot of goodness taken out of it. Am I deluding myself in thinking it will be reasonably OK to support a spud crop?

Dear Barry,
I usually rough dig the area then sling vast quantities of compost/manure on top. Then I cover with black porous sheeting and grow my squash crop through. I would expect some brambles to get past that lot but there is not many usually. Realistically any crop that can be planted through the slits would do, I can reuse the sheeting for around three years before it becomes too holey.
Regards Sally Wright.