Getting the Most from Your Cultivator or Mini-Tiller

by David Toht

Mini-tiller

Weeds are made of tough stuff — so tough that hoeing between rows of garden vegetables becomes a palm-blistering chore. Power cultivators — including mini-tiller/cultivators and front-tine tillers — can save time and your back, and they're a great way to keep weeds at bay.

But disrupting weed growth isn't the only things cultivators accomplish. They can also break up clumps of soil, mix in organic matter and give roots room to grow. For turning a new garden bed or working a large area, a rear-tine tiller might be a better choice.

Safety First

Follow these common-sense safety tips when using a cultivator:

Wear long pants, long sleeves, and eye and ear protection.
Be careful when cultivating hard ground because the tiller can buck out of the soil.
Keep hands and feet away from the tines.
Work by yourself. Keep children and pets away.
Don't pick up the machine by the tines. Carry it by the handlebar.
Don't use an electric cultivator in the rain.

Gas or Electric?

Front-tine tiller

Electric cultivators are lightweight, relatively quiet and easy to maintain. However, they're less powerful than gas-powered tillers and must be attached to an extension cord.
Battery-powered electrics don't require a cord and, thanks to a pair of Mixmaster-like tines, can lightly cultivate a 12 x 25 foot plot without recharging.
Gas-powered cultivators offer plenty of power and aren't tethered to an outdoor receptacle, but they do require more maintenance.

To learn more about taking care of a cultivator, see Maintaining and Troubleshooting a Cultivator or Mini-Tiller.

Work the Soil at the Right Moisture

It's important to use a tiller on soil that's not to dry or too wet. It's difficult for a cultivator to move through hard, dry soil — instead, it tends to bounce on the surface. Cultivating wet soil — especially soil with a lot of clay in it — forms lumpy clumps that harden when they dry.

Wait until the soil has just the right amount of moisture. To test, press a handful of soil into a ball in your hand and drop it. It should fall apart on impact. If the ball doesn't break when it hits the ground, it's too wet and you must wait until it dries out. If the soil doesn't form a ball in your hand, it's too dry. Water it slowly and deeply — which can take a few hours — and check it the next day.

Dig In the Right Way

Front tine tillers can be challenging to control because they can twist and turn. To get off to a good start, follow these steps to ease the tines into the ground:

Before starting up the cultivator, roll the cultivator to the work area.
Tilt the cultivator so the tines are off the ground and put your foot on a wheel to stabilize the machine.
Start the cultivator, moving the choke into the position specified in the owner's manual.
Depress the throttle to increase the engine speed and then hold the handle firmly with both hands while slowly lowering the tiller until the tines touch the ground.
Tip the cultivator back slightly so the tines can dig into the soil. As the tines dig in, pull backward and start cultivating.

Tilling Tips

Cultivators can do their job running forward or backward, but experienced gardeners know that pulling backward is easiest. You'll have more control, exert less effort and don't step on your newly tilled soil.
Let the cultivator do the work. Don't force it down too deep. It shouldn't be straining or lurching, just steadily crunching away.
If you hit a knot of weeds or some hunks of clay, push the tiller back and forth to deal with the problem.
If the tines go too deep or not deep enough, adjust the tine depth as described in the manual. Turn off the engine and remove the spark plug before adjusting the depth to prevent accidental starting.

Dave Toht is a former carpenter and hobby gardener with more than 60 DIY books to his credit. He wishes he knew about backwards tilling the first time he rented a cultivator.