Tilling Tips & Techniques - Troy-Bilt 12210 Super Bronco Owner's Manual

TILLING TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Before tilling, contact your tele-
)hone or utilities company and
inquire if underground equipment
or lines are used on your property.
Do not till near buried electric
cables, telephone lines, pipes or
hoses.
• Avoid pushingdown on the handlebarsin an attempt to force the tiller to dig deeper. Doing
so takes the weight off the poweredwheels, causing them to lose traction. Without the
wheels helping to hold the tiller back, the tines will attempt to propel the tiller - often
causingthe tiller to skip rapidlyacrossthe ground. (Sometimes,slight downward pressure
on the handlebarswill help get through a particularly tough section of sod or unbroken
ground, but in most casesthis won't be necessary.)
• Avoid trying to dig too deeply too quickly, especiallywhen busting sod or when tilling soil
that hasn't beentilled for some time. Use shallow depth regulatorsettings (only an inch or
two deep) for thefirst passesthrough the soil. With eachsucceedingpass,dig anotherinch
or two deeper. (Wateringthe area a few days prior to tilling will make tilling easier,as will
letting the newly worked soil set for a day or two beforemaking a final, deeptilling pass.)
When cultivating (breakingup surface soil around plants to destroy weeds, see Fig. 4-9), adjust the tines to dig only I" to 2" deep.
Using shallow tilling depths helpsprevent injury to plants whose roots often grow close to the surface. If needed,lift up on the handle-
bars slightly to preventthe tines from digging too deeply. (Cultivatingon a regular basis not only eliminatesweeds,it also loosensand
aeratesthe soil for better moistureabsorption and fasterplant growth.)
With experience,you will find the 'just right" tilling depth and tilling speedcombinationthat is best
for your garden.
Set the engine throttle leverat a speed to give the engine adequatepower and yet allow it to operateat the slowest possible speed...at
least until you haveachievedthe maximum tilling depth you desire. Fasterengine speeds may be desirablewhen making final passes
through the seedbedor when cultivating. Selectionof the correct engine speed, in relation to the tilling depth, will ensure a sufficient
power levelto do thejob without causingthe engineto labor.
While tilling, relax and let the wheels pull
the tiller along while the tines do the dig-
ging. Walk on the side that is not yet fin-
ished (to avoid making footprints in the
freshly tilled soil) and lightly, but securely
grip the handlebarwith just one hand.
Whenever possible, walk on the untilled
side of the unit to avoid making footprints
in your freshly tilled or cultivated soil.
Footprintscause soil compaction that can
hamper root penetrationand contribute to
soil erosion. They can also "plant"
unwanted weed seeds back into the
freshly tilled ground.
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
beforetilling. Test soil by squeezingit into
a ball. If it compressestoo easily, it is too
wet to till.
• Whenpreparing a seedbed,go over the same pathtwice in the first row, then
overlap one-half the tiller width on the rest of the passes (see Fig.
4-6). When finished in one direction, makea secondpass at a right angle,as
shown in Fig. 4-7. Overlapeachpass for best results (in very hard ground, it
may takethree or four passesto thoroughly pulverizethe soil.)
If the garden size will not permit
lengthwise and then crosswise
tilling, then overlapthe first passes
by one-half a tiller width, followed l_mi_
by successive passes at one-
quarter width (seeFig. 4-8). Fig. 4-8
Fig. 4.6
With planning,you can allow
Fig. 4.7
enough room between _1,_.. __ _1,,_.
rows to cultivate (see Fig. 1_1_31 _ I
4-9). Leave room for the
hood w dth, plus e nough 1 : 101
extra room for future _ "*_l,_
plantgrowth. Fig.4-9