Section 5— operation
20
Avoid Tilling Wet, Soggy Soil
• Tilling wet soil often results in large, hard clumps of soil
that can interfere with planting. If time permits, wait
a day or two after heavy rains to allow the soil to dry
before tilling. Test the soil by squeezing it into a ball. If it
compresses too easily, it is too wet to till.
Avoid Making Footprints
• When possible, walk on the untilled side of the tiller to
avoid making footprints in the freshly tilled soil. See Fig.
4-3. Footprints cause soil compaction that can hamper root
penetration and contribute to soil erosion. They can also
“plant” unwanted weed seeds back into the newly tilled
soil.
Suggested Tilling Patterns
• When preparing a seedbed, go over the same path twice in
the first row, then overlap one-half the tiller width on the
rest of the passes. See Fig. 4-11.
• When finished in one direction, make a second pass at
a right angle . See Fig. 4-12. Overlap each pass for best
results. In very hard ground it may take three or four passes
to thoroughly pulverize the soil.
• If the garden size will not permit lengthwise and then
crosswise tilling, then overlap the first passes by ⁄ a tiller
width, followed by successive passes at ⁄⁄ width. See Fig.
4-13.
Figure 4-13
Figure 4-11
Figure 4-12
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