Have you spent hours and sometimes even days preparing your garden beds? Shovel after shovel, turning the soil, adding organic material, shoveling again, raking down, then nursing a tired back? I did this for years until I decided I was not going to be afraid of using a tiller. Now it is one of my favorite tools.
When my husband and I moved into a new home two years ago, I quickly realized that the yard had a base of red clay. Of course, the previous owner had put in the requisite row of shrubs around the foundation, and they looked like weary soldiers. That was not for me! I wanted big curving beds, lush beds full of color, true shrub and flower beds! But after a few weekends of digging through the builder's foundation sand only to find red clay, I thought my goals might be a bit too much. That's when I saw an advertisement about small tillers. It looked easy and not so scary. Now I think it's the only way to go!
I bought a small tiller that weighs about 20 pounds. It is easy to start and easy to handle. I busted right through the clay and roots with no problem. The first pass broke up the soil. I shoveled in lots or organic material on top of that and ran the tiller through a few more times. A little raking, and I was ready to go!
Really, what you can do with a tiller in one day would normally take you several weekends doing it the old way. It breaks up compacted soil and works in organic matter, increasing oxygen as it goes. I use it in raised vegetable beds and in my flower beds as well. It's small enough to work the soil just where you want it, leaving shrubs undisturbed but preparing the ground for annuals or new plantings. It will also dig holes up to about a foot deep.
I received my tiller as a gift from my husband (he was probably tired of my asking for help), but you can also rent one at a local rental store. Don't be afraid to try a tiller; good things come in small packages. You will wonder what took you so long.
Jana Bowman, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas Cooperative Extension
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