Loosening Compacted Soil

https://organicentourage.com/
Given the results of soil probing along with poorly draining low areas, we decided to break up the hard layer of compacted soil about 8" below the surface that is a result of all the heavy equipment used on the land over the decades. This is common problem with modern farming. The subsoiler shanks run deep and fracture this "hard pan" allowing plant roots and water to run deep.

Our cover crop got torn up pretty bad running the subsoiler. This 100hp tractor had a hard time in low range and 1st gear running the shanks at about 12" on the first pass. The second pass at 20" and was much easier. It's hard work undoing decades of soil compaction.

Some subsoiler models run a vertical disc (coulter) ahead of each shank to minimize this issue. The coulter slits the grass mat thereby preventing it from getting ripping up into large chunks. We made due with the equipment on hand but will need to run a drag to smooth out of soil. With a little additional seed, the cover that we always keep in place to feed the soil microbes will be just fine.

An alternative approach to breaking up a hard pan is to plant a cover with deep till radishes that have roots that run deep. This is being done in our corn and hay fields but takes time. We needed a solution in our hemp field for this upcoming season and deep tilling works well when the soil is moist but not wet (friable).

Using Subsoiling To Reduce Soil Compaction
https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdfpubs/pdf08342828/pdf08342828dpi72.pdf