I'm thinking of getting a rear tine tiller, any recommendations?*

[Be-the-Vol]

*

[10EC]

*

Start working out.... those things beat you to death....

[Be-the-Vol]

Start working out.... those things beat you to death....

Are they worse than a front tine tiller?  I was told that they are easier to control than a front tine.  I've never used a rear tine, so I have no idea.

[10EC]

Are they worse than a front tine tiller?  I was told that they are easier to control than a front tine.  I've never used a rear tine, so I have no idea.

Definitely not worse.  Troy Bilt is very good.  Would think Craig's list would be good place this time of year.

[Clockwork Orange]

Why do you need a tiller?

[Creek Walker]

Rear-tine is way better than front-tine. Like 10EC said, you can find good deals on Craigslist this time of year.

[10EC]

Why do you need a tiller?

Typically to dig furrows...

[Clockwork Orange]

Typically to dig furrows...

But why would you want/need to do that is my question. I'm an advocate of no-till gardening.

[Be-the-Vol]

Why do you need a tiller?

For use in preparing a couple of gardens, getting the new yard ready for seed, etc.  We used a relatively small front tine tiller for one garden this summer, and it beat the crap out of me and the Mrs. (I almost called the cops to press assault charges  ) I've been told that the rear tines are easier on old bones like mine.

[Be-the-Vol]

But why would you want/need to do that is my question. I'm an advocate of no-till gardening.

We're up in Cumberland County where there is a significant amount of rock, and the soil doesn't drain real well.  We built several raised garden beds, and they drain real well, and tilling is not an issue.  We tried one ground garden, and tilled the soil to loosen it for drainage (I'm very inexperienced in this area, so I may not have even needed to do it).  I believe that tilling the yard in anticipation of seeding is the way to go, but again, I'm very inexperienced in seeding new yards.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Creek Walker]

No-till gardening is waaaay too much work. 

[Clockwork Orange]

No-till gardening is waaaay too much work. 

Pfft. I'll take no tilling, no fertilizer, better soil structure, less soil depletion, and a thousand earthworms per cubic foot, thankyouverymuch. 

[volsboy]

What is this no-till gardening you speak of? I've always tilled them. Damn it! Got blisters to prove it. Do you just throw the seeds on top of the ground? lol

[Clockwork Orange]

What is this no-till gardening you speak of? I've always tilled them. Damn it! Got blisters to prove it. Do you just throw the seeds on top of the ground? lol

No-till requires a wholesale change in philosophy. It's about soil biology, not plant chemistry. Feed the microbes and the earthworms (with organic matter), and they feed the plants. Doing this doesn't just allow you to go no-till; it really doesn't work unless you do. The fungi that break down organic matter and feed your plants form extensive soil structures, and this growth-death-decomposition cycle is what frees up space for air and water to penetrate. Worms and other larger biota contribute to this as well. Over time, that activity makes the soil airy, fluffy, water-retentive yet well draining, fertile, and easy to dig. When you till, you destroy all that hard work these microcritters have done for you.

My garden gets a layer of compost on top at the end of the fall, then a sprinkling of soybean meal as the soil is waking up in the Spring, then no other amendments all year. Nothing through the growing season at all, and no petrochemical fertilizers at any time. I could probably plant my garden by hand (literally digging with my fingers-- no tools) the soil is so soft, and it's as black as night when I dig into it. I actually think the soil may be too fertile for tomatoes-- the plants get to 8 feet tall and collapse under their own weight by July.

[Creek Walker]

Hey, I admire anyone who has the patience for organic gardening. I'm just not that patient myself. (And you really don't lose soil structure and create erosion by tilling unless you just don't care what you're doing and go about it the wrong way.)

[Clockwork Orange]

Hey, I admire anyone who has the patience for organic gardening. I'm just not that patient myself. (And you really don't lose soil structure and create erosion by tilling unless you just don't care what you're doing and go about it the wrong way.)

Well you do destroy the pores created by the fungi and replace them with pores you created mechanically, killing billions of microbes in the process and making the soil much more prone to compaction down the road. Don't get me wrong-- tilling is a tried and true way to put amendments in the soil and to loosen compaction . . . but it's nice not to have to worry about either of those problems to begin with.

I am not 100% organic. I'll still use weed killers in the yard and am not 100% against using them around the garden (though I almost never do anything but pull them by hand anyway). I just don't use any artificial fertilizers and prefer an approach that mimics nature to one that fights it. It is definitely more work, and much more difficult to scale up to a large garden.

[Stogie Vol]

No-till requires a wholesale change in philosophy. It's about soil biology, not plant chemistry. Feed the microbes and the earthworms (with organic matter), and they feed the plants. Doing this doesn't just allow you to go no-till; it really doesn't work unless you do. The fungi that break down organic matter and feed your plants form extensive soil structures, and this growth-death-decomposition cycle is what frees up space for air and water to penetrate. Worms and other larger biota contribute to this as well. Over time, that activity makes the soil airy, fluffy, water-retentive yet well draining, fertile, and easy to dig. When you till, you destroy all that hard work these microcritters have done for you.

My garden gets a layer of compost on top at the end of the fall, then a sprinkling of soybean meal as the soil is waking up in the Spring, then no other amendments all year. Nothing through the growing season at all, and no petrochemical fertilizers at any time. I could probably plant my garden by hand (literally digging with my fingers-- no tools) the soil is so soft, and it's as black as night when I dig into it. I actually think the soil may be too fertile for tomatoes-- the plants get to 8 feet tall and collapse under their own weight by July.

We're Monsanto, and we did NOT approve this message.

[10EC]

the plants get to 8 feet tall and collapse under their own weight by July.

Stakes?

[Clockwork Orange]

Stakes?

I tried 10 ft stakes this year but the plants pull themselves down through the ties, and still flop over the top. Caging works better but the tallest cages are about half the height I need. I've about decided that I'm going to grow tomatoes in two waves-- plant in May to harvest in June, then put new plants in the ground at about the 4th of July to harvest through September.

[Clockwork Orange]

We're Monsanto, and we did NOT approve this message.

Big ag would hate me if I grew 10,000,000 tomato and pepper plants instead of 10. As of now I'm probably not much of a threat. 

[Hollerboy]

I bought a Husqvarna rear tine...it is not well made like most husky products are. Troy built is best if you can afford it.  There may be some other brands that are good but I am unfamiliar with them. One critical piece of advice is to MAKE SURE you get one that has both forward and reverse drive on the tines.  Reverse drive (tines spin backwards) is critical for breaking ground....forward drive is only for cultivating well tilled and soft soil.  Some cheaper models only come with forward drive tines and they will run away from you in hard soil...seriously, you cant control or hold it back when in forward in hard soil.    I have had the husky for 5 years, it works, but alot of small stuff has broken.  I used to have one made by White Equipment company that was a beast...well made but it finally died after 15 years of hard use...but I dont think White makes equipment any more...not sure.