On a hill in Leeds it's going to be a short season, to clear grassed over veg patches, there's two different options; Lift the turf and compost it into Loam Cover the grass and compost in situ The 1st Option is more work and requires more skill but has quicker results. The second option requires patience,and may not yield a crop in the 1st season. Two things not to do; No chemicals No rotovater Two things to do; Add organic materials Broadfork Often planting potatoes is a way of cleaning an abandoned allotment, and potatoes are always useful.

Tarpaulin covers can be effective, although sometimes take three months to do the job (over winter) . Cardboard or lots of newspaper and mulch works, but you will need to find a lot of mulch. The potato option is to trench the plot and plant sprouted potatoes, as they push through the ground,earth them up and when they're bushy they will cover most of the soil and add some biomass . The whole process combines initial ground break, weeding, living mulch and crop .

I've lost the complete thread, start again with a post that is more of a mission statement than a series of questions. If I can pick up a theme it's easier to know what your really asking.

@Jim Flach as a gardener you must know there is always more than one answer.

We join the trees in cultivated rows

@Louise Woodford these lines follow the contour of a pond and the target trees are walnuts and basket willow, protected by ornamental shrubs and under planted with strawberry and berginia. The inter row is new and will initially be planted with potatoes.

I don't plant seeds directly,I plant trees and , if there's not too much deer damage 80% to 90% grow.

@Louise Woodford making a forest can be quicker than you think, a way of speeding the process is not planting in isolation.when plants connect they protect and enhance each other and the faster you join the dots the better they grow.