Manual

TILLINGTIPS& TECHNIQUES
Tilling Depths
WAHNING: Before
tilling, contact your
telephone or utilities
company and inquire if
undergroundequipment or
lines are usedon your
property. Do not till near
buriedelectric cables,
telephone lines, pipesor
hoses.
This is a CRT(counter-rotatingtine) tiller. As the wheelspullforward, the tinesrotateback-
ward. Thiscreatesan "uppercut" tine actionwhich digs deeply,uprootingsoil and weeds.
Don't overloadthe engine,but dig as deeplyaspossibleon eachpass. Onlaterpasses,the
wheelsmaytendto spinin thesoft dirt. Helpthemalongby lifting upslightlyonthehandlebar
(onehand,palm up,works most easily).
Avoidthe temptationto push down on the handlebarsinan attemptto force thetiller to dig
deeper.Doingso takesthe weightoff the poweredwheels,causingthemto losetraction.
Withoutthe wheelsto holdthe tiller back,the tineswill attemptto propelthe tiller backward,
towardsthe operator.(Sometimes,slightdownwardpressureonthe handlebarswill helpget
througha particularlytough sectionofsod or unbrokenground,but in mostcasesthiswon't
benecessary.)
• Whencultivating(breakingup surfacesoil aroundplantsto destroyweeds,seeFig.4-9), ajust thetinesto dig only 1"to 2" deep.Using
shallowtilling depthshelps preventinjury to plantswhoseroots often grow close to the surface.If needed,lift up on the handlebars
slightly to preventthe tinesfrom diggingtoo deeply.(Cultivatingona regularbasisnotonlyeliminatesweeds,it alsoloosensandaerates
thesoil for bettermoistureabsorptionandfaster plantgrowth.) Wateringthegardenareaafewdayspriorto tilling will maketilling easier,
aswill lettingthe newlyworkedsoil setfor a dayor two beforemakinga final, deeptilling pass.
ChoosingCorrectWheel& TineSpeeds With experience,you will find the "just right" tilling depth andtilling speedcombination
that is bestfor your garden.
Setthe enginethrottle leverat a speedto givetheengineadequatepowerandyetallow it to operateat the slowestpossiblespeed...atleast
until you haveachievedthe maximumtilling depth you desire.Fasterenginespeedsmay be desirablewhen makingfinal passesthrough
the seedbedor whencultivating.Selectionof the correct enginespeed,in relationtothetilling depth,will ensurea sufficientpower levelto
do the jobwithout causingtheengineto labor.
Letthe Tiller Dothe Work
Whiletilling, relaxandletthe wheelspullthe
tiller along while the tines do the digging.
Walkon the side that is notyet finished(to
avoid makingfootprints in the freshly tilled
soil) and lightly, but securelygrip the han-
dlebarwith just onehand.
AvoidMaking Footprints
Wheneverpossible, walk on the untilled
sideof the unit to avoid makingfootprints in
your freshly tilled or cultivated soil. Foot-
prints causesoil compactionthat can ham-
per root penetrationand contributeto soil
erosion. They can also "plant" unwanted
weed seeds back into the freshly tilled
ground.
AvoidTilling Soggy, Wet Soil
Tilling wet soil often results in large,hard
clumps of soil that caninterferewith plant-
ing. If time permits,wait a day or two after
heavyrains to allow the soil to dry before
tilling. Testsoil by squeezingit into a ball.If
it compressestoo easily,it is too wetto till.
Preparing Seedbeds
• Whenpreparingaseedbed,go overthesamepathtwice inthefirst row,thenover-
lapone-halfthetiller width ontherest of thepasses(seeFig.6). Whenfinishedin
onedirection, makea secondpassata right angle,as shownin Fig.4-7. Overlap
eachpassfor best results (invery hardground, it maytakethree or four passesto
thoroughlypulverizethe soil.)
m_
Fig. 4-6 Fig. 4-7
• If the gardensizewill not permitlengthwiseandthencrosswisetilling, then over-
lapthefirst passesby one-halfatiller
width,followedby successivepasses ....................v .................................
at one-quarterwidth (seeFig.4-8). _ _
Fig. 4-8
Cultivating
With planning, you can =,,_r,_, ..,'q r_
allow enoughroom _" _ (_
betweenrows to cultivate _ _
(seeFig.4-9). Leaveroom _ _
for the hood width,
plus enough extra _ _'
room for future plant Fig.4-9
growth.
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