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TILLINGTIPS& TECHNIQUES
Tilling Depths
WAHNING: Before
tilling, contact your
telephoneor utilities
companyand inquire if
undergroundequipment or
lines are usedon your
property. Donottill near
buriedelectric cables,
telephonelines, pipesor
hoses.
This isa CRT(counter-rotatingtine) tiller. Asthewheelspullforward, the tinesrotateback-
ward. Thiscreatesan "uppercut"tine actionwhich digs deeply,uprooting soil and weeds.
Don't overloadthe engine,but dig as deeplyas possibleon eachpass.Onlaterpasses,the
wheelsmaytendto spinin thesoftdirt. Helpthemalongbylifting upslightly onthehandlebar
(onehand,palm up,works mosteasily).
Avoidthetemptationto pushdown on thehandlebarsinan attemptto force thetiller to dig
deeper.Doingsotakestheweightoff the poweredwheels,causingthemto losetraction.
Withoutthewheelsto holdthetillerback,thetineswill attemptto propelthetiller backward,
towardstheoperator.(Sometimes,slightdownwardpressureonthehandlebarswill helpget
througha particularlytoughsectionof sodor unbrokenground,but in mostcasesthiswon't
benecessary.)
• Whencultivating(breakingup surfacesoilaroundplantsto destroyweeds,seeFig.4-9), ajust thetinesto dig only 1"to 2"deep.Using
shallowtilling depthshelps preventinjury to plantswhoseroots often growclose to the surface.If needed,lift up on the handlebars
slightlytopreventthetinesfrom diggingtoo deeply.(Cultivatingona regularbasisnotonlyeliminatesweeds,it alsoloosensandaerates
thesoilfor bettermoistureabsorptionandfasterplantgrowth.)Wateringthegardenareaafewdayspriorto tillingwill maketillingeasier,
aswill lettingthenewlyworkedsoil setfor a dayor two beforemakinga final, deeptilling pass.
ChoosingCorrectWheel& TineSpeeds With experience,you will find the "just right" tilling depthandtilling speedcombination
that is bestfor yourgarden.
Settheenginethrottle leverata speedto givetheengineadequatepowerandyetallowit tooperateattheslowestpossiblespeed...atleast
until youhaveachievedthe maximumtilling depthyoudesire.Fasterenginespeedsmaybe desirablewhenmakingfinal passesthrough
theseedbedor whencultivating.Selectionof thecorrect enginespeed,in relationtothetilling depth,will ensurea sufficientpowerlevelto
do thejobwithout causingtheenginetolabor.
Letthe Tiller Dothe Work
Whiletilling, relaxandletthewheelspullthe
tiller along while the tines do the digging.
Walkon thesidethat is notyet finished(to
avoidmakingfootprints in thefreshlytilled
soil) and lightly,but securelygrip the han-
dlebarwith just onehand.
AvoidMaking Footprints
Wheneverpossible, walk on the untilled
sideofthe unitto avoidmakingfootprints in
your freshly tilled or cultivated soil. Foot-
prints causesoil compactionthat canham-
per root penetrationand contribute to soil
erosion. They can also "plant" unwanted
weed seeds back into the freshly tilled
ground.
AvoidTilling Soggy,Wet Soil
Tilling wet soil often resultsin large,hard
clumpsof soil that caninterferewith plant-
ing.If time permits,wait a dayor two after
heavyrains to allow the soil to dry before
tilling. Testsoil bysqueezingit intoa ball.If
itcompressestoo easily,it is toowet to till.
Preparing Seedbeds
• Whenpreparingaseedbed,go overthe samepathtwiceinthefirst row,thenover-
lapone-halfthetiller width ontherest ofthepasses(seeFig.6). Whenfinishedin
onedirection,makea secondpassata rightangle,as shownin Fig.4-7. Overlap
eachpassfor best results(invery hardground, it maytakethreeor four passesto
thoroughlypulverizethe soil.)
• If thegardensizewill not permitlengthwiseandthencrosswisetilling, thenover-
lapthefirst passesbyone-halfatiller
width,followedbysuccessivepasses ....................v .................................
at one-quarterwidth (seeFig.4-8). _ _
Fig. 4-8
Fig. 4-6 Fig.4-7
Cultivating
With planning, you can ==.._vp. ==_._v_
allow enoughroom _" _ (_
betweenrows to cultivate _ _
(seeFig.4-9). Leaveroom _ _
for the hood width,
plus enough extra _ _'
roomfor future plant Fig.4-9
growth.
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