Abstract Understanding long-lasting effects of different silvicultural systems on soil properties is critical to sustainable forest management. We determined even-aged (EA, clearcuts) and uneven-aged (UA, partial harvests; 30% by single-tree selection) management effects on soil properties 5, 15 and 30 years after harvesting, relative to unmanaged old-growth forests, in a hardwood forest in southern Quebec, Canada. In total, 198 plots were sampled in 66 randomly selected sites. We measured coarse woody debris (CWD) and examined key soil physico-chemical properties in the forest floor and mineral horizon (0–20 cm). CWD volume strongly decreased in the forest floor of EA managed forests compared to unmanaged forests; no recovery pattern was observed 30 years post-harvest. Following UA management, CWD volume only significantly decreased 5 years after harvesting. Relative to old-growth forests, sites that were subject to forest harvesting were characterized by soils with lower values for key chemical properties that drive soil fertility, including pH, available K, Ca and Mg, and base saturation. Five years after harvesting, both EA and UA managed forests had higher rates of nitrification than unmanaged forests. Overall, EA management had stronger and longer lasting harvest effects on soil chemical properties than forest sites involving UA management. We also assessed, in a greenhouse pot experiment, whether a hypothetical gradient of decreasing soil fertility would affect seedling growth of three tree species (trembling aspen, white birch, yellow birch). Soil originating from EA managed forests with lower soil fertility resulted in lower height growth rates and total dry biomass for the three species, relative to soil from the unmanaged forest (higher soil fertility). Forest harvesting can have major detrimental effects on soil fertility and productivity, over both the short- and long-term, and impacts may increase with harvest intensity.