Hard soil an issue??

Im moving my plants outdoor soon and i didn't think my soil was that hard but after i go down about a foot or so the ground is almost not dig able with a shovel, it has a mixture of gravel and hard soil, Almost need a post hole digger to get my hole dug, I was trying to do a 2x2 hole then fill that with organic soil.

So my question is... will my roots have an issue expanding in the soil that i can barely break with a tool?

This is where the mattock comes in handy, chop it up and scoop it out.

But how much do I remove ?? If I only go 2ft down won't the plant be stunted and not grow to its full potential?

I've never succusfully grown weed... But I have grown a lot of tomatoes and corn and the like...

It does not seem to bother corn and tomatoes that I can only till 4 inches deep.

I can only speak with authority to the digging, but my speculation is that 2 feet is deep enough, but if you're worried, go 2 1/2 feet or 3.