Troy-Bilt TUFFY 1634A Operator's Manual page 15

TILLINGTIPS & TECHNIQUES (CON'T)
PowerComposting
Powercomposting simply meanstilling under and burying in the soil all mannerof organic
matter suchas crop residues,leaves,grassclippings and covercrops. This material will de-
composeduring the non-growing seasonand add importantnatural nutrientsto the soil.
Thefirst placeto begin is with crop residuessuch as leftovervines, stalks,stems and roots.
Powercompostthese crop residuesas soonas they finish bearing.Thesoonerthis is done,
the better,as tendergreen matteris easierto till under.Usethe deepestdepthregulatorset-
ting possiblewithout causingthe engineto labor or the tiller to jump ahead.
Standingcornstalks of reasonableheightcan be powercomposted.Pushingover (but not
uprooting) cornstalkswill often makeit easierto chop up the stalks.Keepthe tines clearof
excessivetanglingby "fishtailing" or frequentlyusing reverse.Makeseveralpasses,then re-
turn a few days laterto finish off any remainingstubble.
Aftertilling undercrop residues,add moreorganicmattersuchasleaves,grassclippingsand
evenkitchenscraps.Whentilled into the soil, this organic matterwill decomposeand add
evenmore importantnutrients to the soil.
WAHNIN(3: When power
composting, do not keepthe
Depth Regulator Leverat a
deepsetting if the tiller jumps
or bucks.
If jumping or bucking occurs,
move the Depth Regulator
Lever down to a shallow
setting and then slowly
increasethe tilling depth on
later passes.
Failureto follow this warning
could result in personal injury.
After power composting,you maywant to planta "greenmanure"cover crop to protectthe soil during the off-season.Yousimply grow a
crop of clover,alfalfa,buckwheat,peas,beans,rye grass,grain, or kaleand then till it into the soil prior to the planting season.
Tilling On Slopes
Read the followingrecommendationsbeforetilling on slopes:
If you must gardenon a moderateslope,pleasefollow two very importantguidelines:
1. Till only on moderateslopes,neveron steepground wherefooting is difficult (review safe-
ty rulesin Section 1: Safetyof this manual).
2. We recommendtilling up and down slopes ratherthan terracing. Tilling vertically on a
slopeallows maximum plantingarea and also leavesroomfor cultivating.
IMPORTANT: Whentilling on slopes, be surethe correct oil levelis maintainedin the engine
(checkevery one-half hour of operation).The inclineof the slopewill causethe oil to slant
awayfrom its normalleveland this can starveengineparts of requiredlubrication. Keepthe
motor oil levelat thefull point at all times!
Tilling Up and DownSlopes(Vertical Tilling)
WAHNING: Do not
operatetiller on a slope too
steep for safe operation. Till
slowly and be sure you have
good footing. Neverpermit
tiller to freewheel down
slopes. Failureto follow this
warning could result in
personal injury.
• To keepsoil erosionto a minimum, be sureto add enough organicmatterto the soil sothat it has good moisture-holdingtexture and try
to avoid leavingfootprints or wheelmarks.
• Whentilling vertically,try to makethe first passuphill as thetiller digs moredeeplygoing uphillthan it doesdownhill. In soft soil or weeds,
you may haveto lift the handlebarsslightly while going uphill. Whengoing downhill, overlapthe first passby aboutone-halfthe width of
the tiller.
Tilling AcrossSlopes Without UsingTerraces(HorizontalTilling)
• If verticalor terracing gardeningaren'tpracticalfor you, then you cantill laterallyacrossa slope.We don't recommendthis methodas it
can createunsurefooting and invitessoil erosion.
• As in terracegardening,startat the top of the slopeand overlapthe first passby halfthe width of thetiller. Foraddedstabilityof thetiller,
alwayskeepthe uphill wheelin the soft, newlytilled soil.
TerraceGardening
• When a slope is too steepor too short for verticaltilling, it may be necessaryto till acrossthe slopeand createterracedrows. Terraces
are rows that are cut into the side of a slope, creatinga narrow,but flat areaon which to plant.
• Ona long slope,you can makeseveralterraces,one belowthe other.
• Terracesshould beonly 2-t0-3 feet wide. Diggingtoo far into theside of the slopewill exposepoor subsoilthat is unproductivefor plants.
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