We studied an abandoned field in southern Indiana to determine whether planted hardwood growth differed according to vegetation. We also wanted to determine if these growth differences were associated with differences in physical, chemical, and biological soil conditions. Our results reveal that growth of planted hardwoods is strikingly different for areas that had supported some kind of tree cover since abandonment. These growth differences were associated with foliar nitrogen, and with several physical, chemical, and biological soil factors. We attribute the striking growth differences to the combined effect of soil conditions that have been improved by many years of tree cover present on abandoned agricultural land.