Breaking Up Hardpan
Compacted soil (aka "hardpan") may limit or constrain forage production and plant survival in food plots. This densely compacted layer of soil lies 4"-12" below the surface between the topsoil and the subsoil and is caused by repeated disking/tillage. Over several years the loosened top soil's finest particles (clay) migrate downward, accumulate, and bind to create a very dense layer. Breaking the hardpan is often referred to as "subsoiling," and is best done every 2-3 years with a subsoiling chisel plow, which breaks the hardpan and allows water and roots to penetrate into the subsoil.
Back to Westervelt Outdoors Spring 2011
The above article was featured in the Westervelt Outdoors: Spring 2011 issue. To view publication in its entirety, please view/download the PDF.