Tilling prepares soil for the addition of soil amendments, weed removal and planting. It overturns, mixes and digs up the soil. Engine-driven tillers perform the same function as hand tillers, but use the power supplied by the motor to facilitate and quicken the process. Working around trees with a machine tiller requires consideration for the tree's root system, since the roots grow outward much farther than they grow deep, often reaching as far as the tree is tall. Although you can carefully till the soil close to a tree by hand, digging with a machine requires you to work outside the root system to prevent disturbing or damaging the roots.
Spray gardening marking paint on the ground at a distance out from the dripline -- the edge of the tree's canopy -- equal to the height of the tree. For instance, if your tree is 20 feet tall, spray the marking paint 20 feet farther than the drip line on all sides.
Remove all rocks and debris from the tilling area. You can use some plant life, such as weed seedlings, for the compost pile.
Check the fuel in the garden tiller and ensure it’s adjusted to the depth you want to till. Move the tiller to the area just outside the line marking the no-till zone. The left edge of the tiller should be 1 inch to the right of the marked line on the ground.
Lift the blades above ground level with the blade-height lever and put the tiller’s transmission in neutral if not already.
Dig a shallow hole with a garden trowel to see how close to the soil line the tree's roots lie. Drop the tines to the depth you want to dig, taking care to avoid these roots.
Start the tiller, put it in drive and hold on to the handles securely.
Till around the marked area until you return to where you began and put the tiller in neutral. Lift the blades with the blade-height and remove the tiller from the bed you dug.
Turn the tiller around and drop the blades. Start the tiller and put it in drive and till around the first bed you dug. Continue tilling around the trenches until you’ve tilled the desired area.
Things You Will Need
- Gardening marking paint
- Garden trowel
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