[bramble patch]

Hi all,
I have been clearing and digging and have about a quarter of my bramble patch ready for planting (apart from adding manure). I have dug the area without leaving any pathways as i wanted to dig all the roots out so dug it all up.
What are your suggestions for type of system to use, should i go for beds or a traditional plot.
Any advise greatly appreciated.

Bramble Patch

[WG.]

Unless you have very heavy clay, I'd suggest avoiding beds until you get on top of the perennial weeds.  Easier to rotovate them out if that becomes necessary

[Trillium]

You'll also want to watch your spring runoffs to see how your soil drains ie is one section lower than another? That's a determining factor of type of beds as well as soil type.

[noshed]

I have 4' wide beds that I try not to walk on, with grassy/weedy paths between. I sort of continued what had been there before. It seems quite a good arrangement to me but all my plot neighbours favour the field cultivation method, with any paths very temporary - made of straw/manure usually.
You might be best using the latter method this year to get going and spend a bit of time sorting out your compost heaps etc. (I moved mine twice before I settled on their final resting place, which was a bit mad).
Make a cold frame so you can get some seeds going in a few weeks and order some seed potatoes. Then in the autumn you can reconsider your plans in the light of experience.
Or you can just randomly plant stuff like me and enjoy the jungle.

[Trillium]

I did similar beds to Noshed's - every year the shape, size and location change depending on what I want to grow and that year's rotation. And they're still changing. So, I just throw down a strip of weed mesh and bark chips where I want the paths. Come fall, I pull up the mesh while tossing around the chips, and till the works.
Noshed - check my personal album for that photo I promised you ages ago. A bit hard to see being so monotone, but it's there  

[noshed]

Cheers!

[wellingtons]

... had never occured to me to divide my plot into beds (I know I've blathered on about this before!).  When I took it on it had a grass path running sort of down the centre with one bed with side.

I have looked at other plots on our site that have lovely raised beds of varying sizes, and they look great, seem easy to work, but it still doesn't tempt me enough to change my plot.

We're blessed with what I think is a cross between silt and loam (site is very close to the river) and it's very fertile and easy to work.

[Trillium]

Welly, I'll gladly trade you my sub-strata clay and gravel any day!