Subsoiling made our compaction worse before it got better

Priya R. · North Yorkshire · 22 acres of ex-arable clay

The problem

Water sat on the surface for weeks. A spade test showed a hard pan about 25cm down from decades of heavy kit.

What we tried

Subsoiled in autumn on ground that turned out to be too wet. It smeared and we lost the fissures. Repeated the following August in dry conditions, then left it entirely alone under a herbal mix.

Timeline

Standing water gone by the second winter. Worm counts tripled in three years.

Cost and effort

£40/acre contractor, done twice because of our first mistake.

Verdict

Would recommend, with caveats

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