should i break up a hardpan 4-5 inches underground for my carrots?

Question

I have reclaimed a 54'x24' paddock from holding ponies. Unfortunately it was packed down really well. Since then (a solid year of soil amendments and tillings/cover crops) i have managed to bring it back substantially from its concrete-like status. unfortunately about 4-5 inches down it is still fairly packed. I am planting a late winter carrot crop (first time on this spot) and i am worried that this will impact my root growth negatively. Should i rake back the nice fluffy topsoil and break that up before i seed?

thanks for the help.

ps. i am definitely doing your burlap trick!

Answer 1

I'm sorry no one replied to this sooner! You've probably already seeded by now, but in my experience (having a pretty prone-to-compacting soil myself), I find that if the carrots have a good 4-6" of loosened soil they should do OK. By the time they grow long enough to reach the more compacted soil they should be strong enough to penetrate into it. You might get a few with some squashed tails, but nothing disastrous. You might have a problem though with the shoulders of the carrots pushing up out of the ground, which will turn them green. I'd just rake some leaves, sawdust, or more soil over the shoulders to keep them nice and orange. Good luck.

Answer 2

Why not just broad fork it? Sooner or later your going to need porosity in your soil.  If you break the forking up over a few weeks, you can do a 1/4 acre or more if you're reasonably fit.