"Mel" wrote in message
...
My new allotment was dug up by the council with a massive digger, so
there's lots of debris (boulders, wood boards, etc) buried in the soil.
The soil is very heavy and wet.

Last weekend I started to dig out a trench for raspberries, and holes for
red/white/blackcurrants. After about 1 or 2 spits deep, more often than
not I hit rubbish that took herculean efforts to dig out, and very soon my
back gave up.

I'd planned to dig 2 spits deep and then add manure to the trench. If
there's debris at the 2 spits depth, is it okay to leave it there and hope
the roots find their way around, or does it all have to come out?

Thanks.

In a previous garden I tended Raspberries, which to my knowledge, had been
in situ for over 30 years and produced very heavy crops.
All the grass clippings from the lawns were just thrown on the bed and this
practice had resulted in very shallow rooted plants.
Given enough water and feed I guess they will survive and thrive in a
minimal depth of soil.