The four inches of rain that fell two weeks ago pounded the soil. It all soaked in but left the surface hard and brittle. Now the soil has dried it has cracked. the emerging seedlings can have a hard time breaking through this compacted layer. Jose has spent the day irrigating these beds to soften the soil allowing all the young plants to push their way through. Four inches of rain in eight hours is too much for almost all soils. Roberto will weed these beds with his brush hoe after the irrigation to break the crust completely and remove any weeds between the rows.