Dark Dirt

The purpose of tilling your garden is to loosen and aerate the soil. It also serves to mix compost or other organic material into the soil.

Cultivated soil allows roots to grow in the air spaces. You see roots don't grow in soil; they grow in the spaces between dirt. Water and air are trapped in these spaces which is what the plant needs. Without aeration the roots struggle to grow and draw in nutrients.

The thought of cultivating a large vegetable garden by hand is enough to send anyone to the farmers market rather than grow their own. For large areas gas or electric tillers are needed. For those with small gardens or tightly packed plants hand tilling may be required.

Hand tillers are also handy for the area between plants in you rows. A couple of quick swipes with the hand tiller and any weeds can easily be removed and the soil is loosened with minimal root disturbance.

Perennial Beds

In large perennial borders when plant growth is dense the only way to cultivate is to use a hand tiller. Reaching in between plants takes some caution and skill. Using the hand cultivator as you weed makes the job much easier. It also enables you to get the whole weed rather than just the leaves.

Many hand tillers have two sides

A large flat area as well as prongs or spikes. This garden hand tiller tool allows you to match the feature to the area.

Other very popular hand tillers have a longer handle and spikes. The extended handle allows you to stand up while cultivating the soil. The slightly bent spikes dig into the soil, loosening the ground.

Some models have 2 sets of spikes while others have only one. The density of your beds or the area you need to cultivate determines which model you should choose.

Whether you choose to use a roto tiller or not, you will most likely need a hand tiller for some tight areas in your garden.

If you are choosing a powered, electric or gas unit, you should consider closely the tiller tines. It is worth examining them carefully as the engineering of tines can make all the difference to the effectiveness of the machine.

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