No, mumofstig, I was referring to end-to-end cultivation of the plot as being an example of not
'doing as little as possible'.
Along with LilacSandy you make a compelling point about spuds - digging them up, from a different part of the plot each year, means that the whole plot gets dug over, eventually, anyway.
No suggestion from me, LilacSandy, that's there's a 'right' and 'wrong' way. Just that there's a minimum effort way. Yes, soil type will be an influence, but if we keep the organic matter up soil condition is not a problem. It's most likely we don't keep organic matter levels up, and compensate for that in various ways, including digging and watering.
Thanks for your replies.
Tom