How to Rototill

Cub Cadet rear tine tiller.

Unlike lawn mowing and weeding, rototilling your garden only needs to happen twice per year: once in the fall and once in the spring. Rototilling is the perfect time to perform a soil test to check pH and other levels and to add the right amendments to correct any problems that may exist. Be sure to use a rototiller the is the correct size for your garden. If your tiller is almost the size of your garden, you need a smaller tiller. And if your tiller is small enough that you will spend all day mixing soil, you should get a larger tiller. The right tool for the right job goes a long way in gardening.

Things You'll Need

• Wooden stakes
• Colored string
• Extra fuel
• Work or gardening gloves

Instructions

1. Rent or buy the correct rototiller for your garden. If you are breaking through established sod to create a garden, rent a 9-horsepower or a 13-horsepower hydraulic tiller (see a The Home Depot Tool Rental Center for details). If the garden has been tilled within the past year, a mid-tine tiller will be sufficient for your needs. If it has been a few years since the garden has been tilled and the soil is hard, use a rear-tine tiller.

2. Stake the area of the garden off with wooden stakes and colored string if you are breaking ground for a new garden, or for an existing garden area, remove any encroaching weeds and grass that may be growing into the garden area.

3. Remove any large debris (rocks, hard dirt chunks, weeds, twigs, branches, etc.) that will encumber the tiller as it moves along.

4. Prepare the tiller by topping it off with fuel, checking the oil level with the included dipstick, checking the air filter to be sure it is clean, and by making sure the tine area if free of twine, twigs, branches, and any other debris. Place the tiller in a good starting position--usually at one end of the longest stretch. Start the rototiller's engine.

5. Run the tiller across the garden plot lengthwise and as straight as possible. This is much easier said than done. Wearing a pair of work or garden gloves makes tilling more comfortable. Adjust the depth stop on your tiller (these adjustments are made based on tiller type and by manufacturer's design) so the tiller will reach 8 to 12 inches into the soil. Many rototillers are self-propelled (rear-tine tillers), and other tillers (mid-tine tillers) will move along of their own accord simply because the tines are moving in a forward direction. Pushing down on the handle as you go helps to control the tiller. Your main responsibility as a tiller operator is to guide the tiller in the desired direction while allowing it to work at a comfortable pace for you. Often, you can slow a tiller down or speed it up by adjusting the throttle control.

6. Spray the tiller off with a garden hose when you are done to remove soil, amendments and debris that collects during tilling. The tines may pick up something along the way, like a length of rope, twine, twigs, or vines. Cut this away so the tines and the transfer case will not be damaged. If you rented the tiller, the tiller must be clean before you return it to avoid paying a cleaning fee.

Tips & Warnings

• Store the tiller with no fuel and fresh engine oil, and be sure to clean the air filter. Drain the fuel tank and burn off all of the remaining fuel in the fuel system by running the engine until it stops by itself. Cover the tiller with a plastic sheet or a tarp while it is in storage.

• Perform a soil test before tilling. This will help you choose the amendments that will best prepare your soil for growing.Possible options include, but are not limited to, fertilizer, manure, compost, iron, sulfur and lime. Check with your local County Extension office for its recommendations for your area and soil type.

• If you are adding soil amendments, they will do their jobs more effectively if they are mixed thoroughly and evenly.

• Spread your soil amendments over your garden bed(s). Compost and manure layers should be at least 4 to 6 inches deep. Fertilizer should be mixed with the soil at the recommended rate (see packaging for details).

• Sow seeds or plant starts and water regularly.

• Do not attempt to remove twine, twigs, branches, or any debris from the tine area of the tiller while the tines are in motion.

References

• Rototilling