Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Mini-tiller/Cultivators

Tracydr · April 9, 2012

So, Home Depot and Lowes didn't carry any electric cultivators here in my neighborhood. I ended up getting the Greenworks 8 amps from Amazon. Great reviews, looks good and came in one day.
Question. I need more space ( don't we all?), to grow squash and other space hogs. I have an area of rather heavy clay, covered in pea gravel. I can rake off most of the pea gravel but might not get all of it. Will it hurt this tiller to use it on the pea gravel? I'd like to till this area, mix in a bunch of horse manure and use it for a squash and melon, okra and southern pea garden. It's already flood irrigated so it would be perfect. How many rocks can the tiller take without damaging it? What about tree roots? I also have an area around the pool with some rocks and tree roots that I'd love to work with the tiller ( i have a bunch of fancy hibiscus coming!!) but I might be better off renting a larger machine, rather than damaging my new little toy.
I've completely run out of space for summer stuff this year. I have four 16x 8 gardens, plus a garden along one end of the house which has about 15 peppers, and two 3years old eggplants. Then, another raised bed out front with an artichoke, tomatillos, ground cherries and basil. Then, I also have a huge shade garden with a lot of herbs and a few peppers mixed into the flowers.
Part of my problem is that seasons run together around here and I'm also getting more plants that are perinniel like my artichoke, peppers and eggplants, which often just keep n through to the next year. Herbs and bunching onions are tucked everywhere.
Sometimes, I really wish I could lay my garden to rest for the fall, till it up and plant a cover crop, like I would do in a "normal" climate.
But, it's so nice to eat out of the garden year round. Even if the summers here are challenging.
Won't be here much longer, only one or two more summers and then I get to learn a whole new climate, unless we move back to OK or CO.

April 9, 2012	#78
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	So, Home Depot and Lowes didn't carry any electric cultivators here in my neighborhood. I ended up getting the Greenworks 8 amps from Amazon. Great reviews, looks good and came in one day. Question. I need more space ( don't we all?), to grow squash and other space hogs. I have an area of rather heavy clay, covered in pea gravel. I can rake off most of the pea gravel but might not get all of it. Will it hurt this tiller to use it on the pea gravel? I'd like to till this area, mix in a bunch of horse manure and use it for a squash and melon, okra and southern pea garden. It's already flood irrigated so it would be perfect. How many rocks can the tiller take without damaging it? What about tree roots? I also have an area around the pool with some rocks and tree roots that I'd love to work with the tiller ( i have a bunch of fancy hibiscus coming!!) but I might be better off renting a larger machine, rather than damaging my new little toy. I've completely run out of space for summer stuff this year. I have four 16x 8 gardens, plus a garden along one end of the house which has about 15 peppers, and two 3years old eggplants. Then, another raised bed out front with an artichoke, tomatillos, ground cherries and basil. Then, I also have a huge shade garden with a lot of herbs and a few peppers mixed into the flowers. Part of my problem is that seasons run together around here and I'm also getting more plants that are perinniel like my artichoke, peppers and eggplants, which often just keep n through to the next year. Herbs and bunching onions are tucked everywhere. Sometimes, I really wish I could lay my garden to rest for the fall, till it up and plant a cover crop, like I would do in a "normal" climate. But, it's so nice to eat out of the garden year round. Even if the summers here are challenging. Won't be here much longer, only one or two more summers and then I get to learn a whole new climate, unless we move back to OK or CO.