S
ection
5— o
peration
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 Figure
5-3. 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 Figure 5-11.
Figure 5-11
•
When finished in one direction, make a second pass at a
right angle . See Figure 5-12. Overlap each pass for best
results. In very hard ground it may take three or four passes
to thoroughly pulverize the soil.
Figure 5-12
•
If the garden size will not permit lengthwise and then
crosswise tilling, then overlap the first passes by 1⁄2 a tiller
width, followed by successive passes at 1⁄⁄4 width. See Figure
5-13.
1
2
3
Figure 5-13
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