Tilling Tips& Techniques
Letthe tiller do thework Avoidtillingsoggy,wet soil •Ifthegardensizewill not permit
• While tilling, relax and let the wheels
pullthe tiller alongwhile the tines do
thedigging. Walk on the side that is
notyet finished (to avoid making foot-
prints in the freshly tilled soil)and
lightly, but securelygrip thehandlebar
with just onehand.
• Avoid pushing down onthe handlebars
inan attempt to forcethe tiller to dig
deeper. Doingso takes the weight off
thepowered wheels, causing them to
losetraction. Without the wheels
helpingto hold thetiller back,the tines
will attempt to propelthe tiller- often
causingthe tiller to skip rapidlyacross
theground. (Sometimes, slight down-
ward pressure on the handlebarswill
helpget through aparticularly tough
sectionof sod or unbrokenground, but
in most casesthis won't be necessary
atall.)

Tilling depths

• Avoid trying to digtoo deeplytoo
quickly,especially when busting sod or
whentilling soil that hasn't beentilled
for some time. Use shallow depth reg-
ulatorsettings (onlyan inch ortwo
deep)for thefirst passesthrough the
gardenarea. With each succeeding
pass,adjust the depth regulator to dig
anotherinch or two deeper. (Watering
thegarden area afew days prior to
tilling will maketilling easier, aswill
lettingthe newly worked soilset for a
dayor two beforemaking a final, deep
tilling pass.)
• Whencultivating (breakingupthe
surfacesoil around plantsto help
destroyweeds),use very shallow depth
settingsto preventinjury to plantswhose
rootsoftengrow close to thesurface. If
needed,liftup onthe handlebarsslightly
topreventthe tinesfrom diggingtoo
deeply.(Cultivatingon a regularbasis
notonly eliminatesweeds,it alsoloosens
andaeratesthesoil for bettermoisture
absorptionandfaster plantgrowth.)
Tilling wet soil oftenresults inlarge,
hardclumps of soilthat caninterfere
with planting. Iftime permits, waita day
or two after heavy rainsto allow thesoil
todry beforetilling. Test soil by squeez-
ingit intoa ball. Ifit compressestoo
easily,it is toowet to till.

Avoidmakingfootprints

Whenpossible, walk on the untilled side
ofthe unit to avoidmaking footprints in
thefreshly tilled soil. Footprints cause
soil compactionthat can hamperroot
)enetrationand contribute to soil
erosion. They canalso "plant" unwanted
weedseeds backinto thefreshly tilled
ground.

Choosingcorrectwheel

andtine speeds

With experience,you will find the "just
right" tilling depthand tilling speedcom-
binationthat is bestfor your garden.
Setthe EngineThrottle Control Leverto
aspeed to give the engineadequate
)owerand yet allow it tooperate at the
slowest possible speed...atleast until
you haveachieved the maximum tilling
depthyou desire.Fasterengine speeds
maybe desirablewhen makingfinal
)assesthrough the seedbed or when
cultivating. Selection of the correct
enginespeed, in relation tothe tilling
depth,will ensurea sufficient power
levelto do the jobwithout causingthe
engineto labor.

Suggestedtillingpatterns

• When preparinga seedbed, go over the
samepath twice inthe first row, then
overlapone-half the tiller width on the
rest ofthe passes(see Figure4-6).
Whenfinished in onedirection, makea
secondpass at a rightangleas shown
in Figure4-7. Overlapeach passfor
best results (in very hardground it may
takethree or four passestothoroughly
pulverizethe soil).
lengthwiseand then crosswise tilling,
thenoverlap the first passesby one-
halfa tiller width, followed by succes-
sivepassesat one-quarterwidth (see
Figure4-8).
•With planning,you can allow enough
roombetween rows tocultivate (see
Figure4-9). Leaveroom for thehood
width, plusenoughextra room for
future plantgrowth.
Figure4-6
Figure4-7
Figure4-8
Figure4-9