Power Composting; Tilling On Slopes; Terrace Gardening - Troy-Bilt TUFFY 630CN Operator's Manual

TILLING TIPS& TECHNIQUES (CON'T)
PowerComposting
Powercomposting simply meanstillingunderand burying in thesoil all mannerof organic WARNING: When power
mattersuch as crop residues,leaves,grassclippings and cover crops. This materialwill de- composting, do not keepthe
composeduring the non-growingseasonand add important n aturalnutrientsto the SO Depth Regulator Leverat a
Thefirst placeto beginis with crop residuessuch asleftovervines,stalks,stemsand roots, deep setting if the tiller jumps
Powercompost these crop residuesas soon asthey finish bearing.Thesoonerthis isdone, or bucks.
the better,astendergreen matter is easierto till under. Usethe deepestdepth regulatorset- If jumping or bucking occurs,
ting possiblewithout causingthe engineto labor or the tiller to jump ahead, move the Depth Regulator
Leverdown to a shallow
Standingcornstalksof reasonableheight can be powercomposted.Pushing over (but not setting and then slowly
uprooting) cornstalkswill often make it easierto chop up the stalks.Keepthe tines clearof
excessive tangling by ,fishtailing" o r frequentlyusing reverse.Make severalPaSSeS, then re- increasethe tilling depth or}
later passes.
turn a few days ater to f n sh off any reman ng stubb e ^:,..... ,^,,^. ,,._..... :__
FaHu_u
LU/UIIUW tl I1:_ W_/llllly
Aftertilling undercrop residues,add moreorganicmattersuch asleaves,grassclippings and could result in personal injury.
evenkitchenscraps. Whentilled intothe soil, this organicmatterwill decomposeand add
evenmore important nutrientsto the soil.
After powercomposting,you may want to planta "greenmanure"cover crop to protectthe soil during the off-season. Yousimply grow a
crop of clover,alfalfa, buckwheat,peas,beans,ryegrass, grain,or kaleandthen till it into the soil prior to the plantingseason.
Tilling OnSlopes
Readthe following recommendati_ns beforetilling on slopes:
/%
you must gardenon a moderateslope, pleasefollow two very _mportant g mdelmes:
If
1. Til! only on moderatemodes,neveron steepgroundwherefooting s difficult ! "eviewsafe-
ry rules {nSection ]: Safetyof this manuai).
2. We recommendtilling up an{] clownslopes ratherthan terracing. Tilling vertically on a
slopeallows max{mutt plantingareaand also leavesroom for cultivating.
IMPORTANT: W hentilling on slopes be surethe correct oil levelis maintainedin the engine
checkevery one-halfhour of oDerat!on_. T he inclineof the slopewl causerne m to slant
WARNING: Do not
operatetiller on a slope too
steel_for safe operation. Till
slowly and be sure you have
good footing. Never permit
tiller to freewheel down
slopes. Failureto followthis
warning could result in
personal injury.
awayfrom its normal leveland this canstarve enginepartsof requiredlubrication. Keeothe
motor oH_evm at the full point at a!l times!
Tilling Up and DownSlopes [Vertical Tilling)
• To keepsoil erosionto a minimum, besureto add enough organicmaker re rne SOil s o that d hasgood moisture-holdingtextureandtry
to avoid leaving footprints or wheelmarks.
• Whentilling vertically,try to makethe first pass. _hillas the tiller digs moredeeplygoing uphill than it does downnm. In soft soil or
weees,you may haveto lift the handlebarssbghtlywhile going uphill. When going downhill, overlapthe first pass byabout one-halfthe
width of the tiller.
Tilling AcrossSlopesWithout UsingTerraces(HorizontalTilling)
• f vertical or terracing gardeningaren't practicalfor you, then you cantill laterallyacrossa slope. We don't recommendthis methodas
t can createunsurefooting and invitessoil erosion.
• As in terracegardemng, s tartat thetop of the slopeand overlapthe first passey _alfthe width of thetiller. Foraddedstabilityof the tiller.
alwayskeepthe uphill wheelin the soft. new_y t illed so_l.
Terrace Gardening
• Whena slope_stoo steep or too short for verticaltilling, It may be necessary to t_llacrossthe slope and createterraced rows.Terraces
are rows that are cut rotethe sideof a slope,creating a narrow, but flat areaon which to plant.
• Ona long s_ope, y ou can makeseveralterraces,one belowthe other.
• Terracesshouldbeonly 2-to-3 feetwide. Diggingtoo far intothe sideof the slopewil! exposepoor subsoilthat is unproductivefor plants.
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