Talk to me about tillers

[Browning]

Been trying to keep an eye out on tillers online and so far there aren't many. I've seen a few mantis tillers and have heard good things about them but they are tiny and I assume if you're tilling ground that hasn't been tilled in years it will be a bitch to do with one? At home it's easily done with a tractor but I am looking to get a cheap new or used one for tilling ground at my moms for my 4 year old niece to garden again this year. Last year we used her flower bed and only grew tomatoes and cucumbers there so it wasn't needed. This year she said she wants to go bigger and try melons and stuff.

 

Trying to debate on if it's worth getting a used mantis or a really old bigger one that needs work. Maybe I should just hire one of the guys that advertise on cl to come till it up for me? Local hardware rents a mantis type one for $20/day so that';s an option as well.

[mrs.cos]

This conveniently came up on one of my gardening pages today. We do layers, and rows

 

Layer gardening.

 

Check it!

Why Not to use a Rototiller

1. They Cause Soil Compaction:

 

 

Good healthy soil takes on the components of good compost – teeming with all types of microbial life and structure.

 

Good healthy soil is all about its structure. Great soil should be teaming with all sorts of organic matter in various stages of decay. Those little bits and pieces of organic matter allow for water, air and nutrients all to be carried down through the soil to your plants. Great soil is filled with billions of helpful bacteria, worms and microorganisms that play important roles in bringing nutrients to your plants. Tilling the soil can ruin all of that.

 

As soil is tilled over and over, that all-important structure is destroyed. The active life in the soil is disrupted and exposed – and it becomes reduced to lifeless fine grains of sterile dirt. Without structure – the soil also becomes easily compacted around the roots of your plants – keeping out vital nutrients. That makes it harder for water and air to get through - resulting in under performing plants. Poor structure also makes it difficult for the soil to retain moisture – also a critical factor in a plant’s growth and success. And last – whether you have a rear tine tiller, front tine tiller – you still have to walk behind it or beside it – compacting even more of the very soil you are trying to break up.

 

2. They Create More Weeds

 

 

Mulching is the better option than tilling between rows. Here carrots benefit from straw mulch – keeping in moisture and keeping back weeds

 

Rototillers actually cause more weeds than they ever come close to eliminating. When a tiller is run through the garden rows or walking rows – every time those tines flip that soil, guess what else they are flipping? That’s right – hundreds if not thousands of tiny weed seeds. Seeds that have blown in from all over. Seeds that can now be buried under enough soil to have a chance to germinate – and double if not triple the amount of weeds you had before you ever ran those tines in the first place. Thistle and quack grass are a big problem in our area and we are often asked how are garden seems to stay free of them with little work. The answer – we don’t own a rototiller.

 

3. They Create The “Bare Soil” Problem

 

 

Barren soil makes it easy for soil erosion to occur, and for weed seeds to blow in. Cover crops solve both problems.

 

Here is another simple fact – bare soil in your garden is not a good thing: In fact – in our garden – during all four seasons – we try hard to never have any of our garden soil or the row’s exposed. Why? For a couple of reasons. Exposed, barren soil is primed and ready for two things…fresh weeds seeds to be blown in and become established – and wind and water to wash it away quickly through erosion. We use large amounts of natural mulch like straw and shredded leaves in the rows and around our plants to keep the soil covered and mulched – keeping weed seeds from becoming established and erosion to a minimum. In the fall and winter – cover crops then take over and provide protection. I know that a lot of people think that those nicely tilled rows between the garden are a neat “clean” look – but they really lead to more weeds each season – and a huge loss of topsoil due to wind and water erosion.

 

4. They Can Delay Gardening Season

 

 

Early season crops like lettuce and radishes can go in the ground earlier in raised row beds

 

How many times have you heard someone say – “I couldn’t even get my tiller in the soil until late Spring because it was so wet.” With a no-till approach – your soil structure drains better, can be worked sooner, and leads to earlier harvest times.

 

Not only that – but tilling at the wrong time can do serious additional damage to your soil structure. If it’s too wet – it can result in clumpy and muddy soil. If it’s too dry – a rototiller only serves to destroy the little soil structure remaining – making it less likely to hold in moisture and nutrients. That in turn leads to the need for more watering and probably having to add synthetic fertilizers to the soil to make up for the lack of naturally available nutrients. It becomes a vicious cycle that only causes more work for the gardener.

[Akula]

Get a broadfork, no motor needed. Its manual but will dig well. Other than that, get a Honda.

[Don 95Vert]

In all my years I have had a Troy Built rear tine, a small tiller on the back of my large garden tractor and a Mantis-clone tiller (Sears brand). I have to say my garden is much smaller now, but the Mantis seems to beat them all - took longer, because they are so narrow but it ate right through turf easier than any of the others.

[Browning]

Yea I still want a tiller. Keep looking on cl for an old one but not many up still.

[Turbs3000]

I've always just rented, you can get great equipment that needs 0 maintenance. I would lean that route on this type of project unless you specifically want to add a tiller to your arsenal. Personally, when I am working on a residential or commercial property I just go rent one.

[Gergwheel1647545492]

This conveniently came up on one of my gardening pages today. We do layers, and rows

 

Layer gardening.

 

Check it!

Why Not to use a Rototiller

 

while i don't entirely agree with everything said in this post, i do think there is some validity to some of it. also its a really cool website with lots of other info. thanks for posting.

[BloodRed]

I have an old tiller that was given to me that my grandfather used. I can't even find anything on it as to the make, but it is from the late 60's-70's. Thing is a beast, but I just throw fresh gas in it, spray a little starter fluid in, and it start up every year and it runs like a champ with only a 3.5hp B&S engine.

[dsm_sleeper]

I have a rear tine TroyBilt that I'll be posting upfor sale sometime when I have time.

[bmwohio]

I've used my neighbors Mantis before, it works pretty well and was easy to use

[Browning]

I have a rear tine TroyBilt that I'll be posting upfor sale sometime when I have time.

 

depending on what it is and how much I may be interested