Troy-Bilt 665B Pro-line, 664Dpony, E66M PonyES manual Tilling up and down slopes, Terrace Gardening

Section 4: Operation 15

Tilling Tips & Techniques

Clearing the tines

The tines have a self-clearing action which eliminates most tangling of debris in the tines. However, occasionally dry grass, stringy stalks or tough vines may become tangled. Follow these proce- dures to help avoid tangling and to clean the tines, if necessary.

•To reduce tangling, set the depth regu- lator deep enough to get maximum “chopping” action as the tines chop the material against 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 handlebars from side to side (about 6" to 12"). This “fishtailing” action often clears the tines of debris.

•If tangling occurs, lift the tines out of the soil and run the tiller in reverse for a few feet. This reversing action should unwind a good deal of debris.

•If reversing the tiller doesn’t clear the debris, it may be necessary to remove the debris by hand (a pocket knife will help you to cut away the material).

WARNING

Before clearing the tines by hand, stop the engine, allow all moving parts to stop and disconnect the spark plug wire. Remove the ignition key on elec- tric start models.

Failure to follow this warning could result in personal injury.

Tilling on slopes

If you must garden on a moderate slope, please follow two very important guidelines:

1.Till only on moderate slopes, never on steep ground where footing is difficult (review safety rules in the “Safety” Section of this Manual).

2.We recommend tilling up and down slopes rather than terracing. Tilling vertically on a slope allows maximum planting area and also leaves room for cultivating.

IMPORTANT: When tilling on slopes, be sure the correct oil level is maintained in the engine (check every one-half hour of operation). The incline of the slope will cause the oil to slant away from its normal level and this can starve engine parts of required lubrication. Keep the engine oil level at the full point at all times!

A. Tilling up and down slopes:

•To keep soil erosion to a minimum, be sure to add enough organic matter to the soil so that it has good moisture- holding texture and try to avoid leaving footprints or wheel marks.

•When tilling vertically, try to make the first pass uphill as the tiller digs more deeply going uphill than it does down- hill. In soft soil or weeds, you may have to lift the handlebars slightly while going uphill. When going downhill, overlap the first pass by about one-half the width of the tiller.

B. Terrace Gardening:

•When a slope is too steep or too short for vertical tilling, it may be necessary to till across the slope and create ter- raced rows. Terraces are rows that are cut into the side of a slope, creating a narrow, but flat area on which to plant.

•On a long slope, you can make several terraces, one below the other.

•Terraces should be only 2-to-3 feet wide. Digging too far into the side of the slope will expose poor subsoil that is unproductive for plants.

•To create a terrace, start at the top of the slope and work down. Go back and forth across the first row as shown in Figure 4-10.

•Each succeeding lower terrace is started by walking below the terrace you’re preparing. For added stability of the tiller, always keep the uphill wheel in the soft, newly tilled soil. Do not till the last 12" or more of the downhill outside edge of each terrace. This untilled strip helps prevents the ter- races from breaking apart and washing downhill. It also provides a walking path between rows.

UPHILL￿

1

2 3

12" UNTILLED￿

1 REPEAT￿

DOWNHILL￿

Figure 4-10

C. Tilling across slopes without using terraces:

•If vertical or terracing gardening aren’t practical for you, then you can till later- ally across a slope. We don’t really recommend this method as it can create unsure footing and invites soil erosion.

•As in terrace gardening, start at the top of the slope and overlap the first pass by half the width of the tiller. For added stability of the tiller, always keep the uphill wheel in the soft, newly tilled soil.