Growing Vegetables

The modern day tiller we know of started in the 1700’s when Jethro Tull invented the first horse drawn cultivator called the horse-hoe.  Tull introduced new farming techniques for mechanical agriculture. He showed that by planting seeds in a row increased speed, production and profits.

Today there are many rototiller models available ranging from those pulled by a tractor to the tiny hand held electric varieties. Selection can be narrowed down through intended use and personal choice. If you are a serious gardener with a larger garden and intend to use your tiller frequently than it’s a good idea to invest in the largest model you can afford. You need to consider both the tilling depth and the horse power of the engine. The larger the tiller the easier the work will be. 

For handheld rototillers most gardeners favor the models with the tiller in the front. Having the tillers in the front will help pull the machine through the soil and make the operation smoother.

Rototillers are used for two operations in the garden. Mixing soil amendments and fertilizers into the soil and preparing soil to be an acceptable bed for seeds to be planted.  When you use the tiller to mix in the soil amendments you may have to make several passes to thoroughly finish mixing.

When preparing a seedbed you must be careful not to overdo it. If your garden is a few years old and has been well maintained and tilled than your soil probably has good structure. Over tilling the soil into very fine particles destroys structure temporarily. If you add water to this it will turn to mud that will dry into a hard pan which will trap your seeds in the crusted surface.  Also you should never till when the soil is to wet. When you area able to crumble the soil apart with your fingers without leaving sticky mud on your fingers than it is dry enough to till.