Troy-Bilt Horse Tiller Operation Manual - Page 21

• With planning, you can allow enough room between rows Terrace Gardening: to cultivate. Leave room for the hood width, plus enough extra room for future plant growth. See Fig. 4-14. • When a slope is too steep or too short for vertical tilling, it may be necessary to till across the slope and create terraced rows. Terraces are rows that are cut into the side of a slope, creating a narrow, but flat area on which to plant. • On a long slope, you can make several terraces, one below the other. • Terraces should be only 2-to-3 feet wide. Digging too far into the side of the slope will expose poor subsoil that is unproductive for plants. • To create a terrace, start at the top of the slope and work down. Go back and forth across the first row. See Fig. 4-15. UPHILL Figure 4-14 Tilling on Slopes If you must garden on sloping ground, please follow two very important guidelines: 1. Till only on moderate slopes, never on steep inclines where footing is difficult review the safety rules in the Safe Operation Practices section. 2. It is recommend that you till up and down slopes rather than terracing. Tilling vertically on a slope allows maximum planting area and also leaves room for cultivating. NOTE: When tilling on slopes, be sure the correct oil level is maintained in the engine (check every 1⁄2 hour of operation). The incline of the slope will cause the oil to slant away from its normal level and this can starve engine parts of required lubrication. Keep the engine oil level at the full point at all times. Tilling up and down slopes: • To keep soil erosion to a minimum, be sure to add enough organic matter to the soil so that it has good moisture holding texture and try to avoid leaving footprints or wheel marks. • When tilling vertically, try to make the first pass uphill as the tiller digs more deeply going uphill than it does downhill. In soft soil or weeds, you may have to lift the handlebars slightly while going uphill. When going downhill, overlap the first pass by about 1⁄2 the width of the tiller. NOTE: For the best results, use the HIGH belt range and SLOW wheel speed lever position. See Changing Speed Belts in this section for more information on changing to high range. 1 2 3 12" UNTILLED 1 REPEAT DOWNHILL Figure 4-15 • Each succeeding lower terrace is started by walking below the terrace you're preparing. For added stability of the tiller, always keep the uphill wheel in the soft, newly tilled soil. Do not till the last 12" or more of the downhill outside edge of each terrace. This untilled strip helps prevents the terraces from breaking apart and washing downhill. It also provides a walking path between rows. Tilling across slopes without terracing: • If vertical or terracing gardening aren't practical for you, then you can till laterally across a slope. We don't really recommend this method as it can create unsure footing and invites soil erosion. • Study the terrain to make certain the slope is not too Steep for safe tilling. If possible, make terraced rows or till vertically. Section 5 - Operation 21