TillingTips& Techniques

Clearingthetines

Thetines have a self-clearingaction
which eliminatesmost tangling of debris
inthe tines. However,occasionally dry
grass,stringy stalks or tough vines may
becometangled. Followthese proce-
duresto help avoidtangling andto clean
thetines, if necessary.
•To reduce tangling, set the depth regu-
latordeep enough to get maximum
"chopping" action as the tines chop the
materialagainst the ground. Also,try
to till under crop residues or cover
crops while they are green, moist and
tender.
•While power composting, try swaying
the handlebarsfrom side to side (about
6"to 12"). This"fishtailing" action
oftenclears the tines of debris.
• Iftangling occurs,lift the tines out of
thesoil and run the tiller in reversefor
afew feet. This reversing action
shouldunwind a good deal of debris.
• If reversing the tiller doesn't clear the
debris, it may be necessaryto remove
thedebris byhand (a pocket knife will
helpyou to cut away the material).
Beforeclearing the tines by hand, stop
the engine, allow all moving parts to
stop and disconnect the spark plug
wire. Removethe ignitionkeyon elec-
tricstart models.
Failure to follow this warning could
resultin personal injury.

Tillingon slopes

Ifyou must garden on a moderate
slope,pleasefollow two very important
guidelines:
1.Till only on moderate slopes, never on
steepground where footing is difficult
(reviewsafety rules in the "Safety"
Sectionof this Manual).
2.We recommend tilling upand down
slopesrather than terracing. Tilling
vertically on a slope allows maximum
plantingarea andalso leavesroom for
cultivating.
IMPORTANT:Whentilling onslopes, be
surethe correct oil level is maintained in
theengine (check every one-half hour of
operation). The incline of the slope will
causethe oil to slantawayfrom its
normallevel and this can starve engine
partsof required lubrication. Keepthe
engineoil level at the full pointat all
times!
A.Tilling up anddown slopes:
• To keepsoil erosion to a minimum, be
sureto add enough organic matter to
thesoil so that it has good moisture-
holding texture andtry to avoid leaving
footprints or wheel marks.
• Whentilling vertically,try to make the
first pass uphill as the tiller digs more
deeplygoing uphill than it does down-
hill. Insoft soil or weeds, you may
haveto lift the handlebars slightly while
going uphill. When going downhill,
overlapthe first pass by about one-half
thewidth of the tiller.
B.Terrace Gardening:
• Whena slopeis too steepor too short
for vertical tilling, itmay be necessary
totill acrossthe slope and create ter-
racedrows. Terracesare rows that are
cut into the side of aslope, creating a
narrow, butflat area onwhich to plant.
• Ona long slope, you can makeseveral
terraces, onebelow the other.
•Terraces should be only 2-to-3 feet
wide. Digging too far into the side of
theslope will exposepoor subsoil that
is unproductive for plants.
•To create aterrace, start at the top of
theslope and work down. Go back and
forth across the first row as shown in
Figure4-10.
• Eachsucceeding lower terrace is
startedby walking below the terrace
you're preparing. For addedstability of
thetiller, always keep the uphill wheel
inthe soft, newly tilled soil. Do not till
the last 12" or more of the downhill
outsideedge of each terrace. This
untilledstrip helps prevents the ter-
racesfrom breaking apart and washing
downhill. Italso provides a walking
pathbetween rows.

ol ',

Figure4-10
C.Tilling acrossslopes without
usingterraces:
• If vertical or terracing gardening aren't
practicalfor you, then you can till later-
allyacross a slope. Wedon't really
recommendthis method as it can
createunsurefooting andinvites soil
erosion.
•As in terrace gardening, start at the top
ofthe slope and overlap thefirst pass
byhalf the width of the tiller. For added
stabilityof the tiller, always keep the
uphillwheel in the soft, newly tilled soil.