MTD FT24 Operator's Manual page 8

Transporting & Storing the Tiller
To transport and store the tiller move the
throttle to the stop position. Pivot the
depth stake away from ground up between
wheels. See Figure 4-4.
Using Your Tiller
Your tiller is designed for seed bed
preparation, cultivating, furrowing and
mulching.
Tilling Procedure
When tilling, leave approximately eight
inches of untilled soil between the first and
second tilling paths, then make the third path
between the first and second, Figure 4-5.
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Figure 4-5
In some soils, the desired depth is obtained
the first time over the garden. In other
soils, the desired depth is obtained by
going over the garden two or three times.
Passes should be made across the length
and width of the garden alternately. Rocks
which are turned up should be removed
from the garden area.
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ection ontrolS
Cultivating Procedures
For cultivating, a two to three inch depth
is desirable. The tine width can be reduced
to 13 inches by removing the outer tines
completely from the tiller. See the Service
section for instructions on removing the tines.
When laying out plant rows, be sure to
allow enough width to permit cultivation
between the rows. In growing corn or
similar crops, check-row planting will
permit cross cultivation and practically
eliminate hand hoeing. See Figure 4-6.
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& o
peration
Figure 4-6
Other Uses
The tiller has many uses other than tilling
and cultivating a garden. One of these is
the preparation of lawn area for seeding.
The tiller will prepare a deep seed bed
which will be free of hard untilled spots,
allowing a better stand of grass to grow.
The tiller is very useful for loosening hard
soil for excavation with a shovel; no tedious
handwork will be necessary. Your tiller may
be used for mixing compost in the pile or
for mixing it with the soil in your garden.
This should be done after the soil has been
broken to the full working depth. The
compost should be worked in to a depth
of six to seven inches. This may be done by
working the length of the garden and then
by making separate passes across its width.
The addition of decayed organic matter
will substantially increase the fertility of
your garden. For proper decaying action,
fertilizer should be applied and worked
in with the mulch materials. Breaking up
leaves and straw and mixing it with several
inches of soil allows proper aeration of the
plant root system and retards the growth
of weeds.