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User manual Troy-Bilt, model 12060

Manafacture: Troy-Bilt
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About two or three weeks before planting, till the garden two or three times. Then, till once more before planting. This final tilling helps plants get a head start on future weed growth. When preparing the soil, go over the same path twice in the first row. Then overlap one-half the tilling width on each succeeding pass. See Figure 4-6. After going up and down the rows in one direction, make a second pass at a right angle across your earlier rows. See Figure 4-7. Again, overlap each pass to really pulverize the soil. (In very hard ground, three or four passes may be needed.) If your garden isn’t long enough to till lengthwise and then crosswise, first overlap each pass by Figure 4-6: Initial tilling pattern. one-half a tilling width, followed by successive passes of one-quar-ter a tilling width. See Figure 4-8. Don't till when the soil is too wet. This produces large clumps which later dry out and become hard. If the soil compresses easily into a ball, it is still too wet to be tilled. Avoid Making Footprints When tilling, always try to walk alongside the tiller on the side that is yet to be tilled. This prevents replanting weed seeds and leaves a nice appearance. Figure 4-8: Tilling narrow strips. 18 Cultivating When planning your garden, keep in mind that the tiller has a tilling width of approximately 14”. Allow at least this width between rows in your garden— plus additional width for plant growth. Take into account that bushy plants like beans and tomatoes need more width. Refer to Photo 4-9. When cultivating, use a shallow Depth Regulator Lever setting. Do not cultivate deeper than l"-or-2". Shallow cultivating keeps weed growth to a minimum and doesn’t damage plant roots. For best results, begin cultivating as soon as seedlings appear, and then cultivate as often as once a week. The day after a light rain is an excellent time to cultivate, as long as the plants are dry. Avoid working in the garden when plants are wet. Diseases, blight, and rust can be easily spread among wet plants with your hands, clothing or even the tiller. Photo 4-9: Cultivating within rows. Power Composting To keep your garden productive, regularly till organic matter back into the soil (Photo 4-10). This helps replace any nutrients harvested (as vegetables), and also improves soil structure. A simple method of power composting is to chop, blend and till under leafy crop residues, leaves, grass clippings and “green manure” crops. This organic matter will decompose and add important nutrients back into garden soil. When composting, put the Depth Regulator Lever at the deepest setting that does not allow the tiller to jump or cause the engine to labor. CAUTION When power composting, do not keep the Depth Regulator Lever at a deep setting if the tiller jumps or bucks. If jumping or bucking occurs, move the Depth Regulator Lever down to one of the shallower settings and then slowly increase the tilling depth on later passes. Failure to comply could result in loss of tiller control, property damage or personal injury. v.jp- r * i ' ■ V- V- •• Photo 4-10: Power Composting “feeds” your garden. Till crop residues back into the soil as soon as the vegetables are harvested. Green, tender crops are more easily tilled. Since the tiller is a comparatively lightweight machine, we don’t recommend it for power composting large standing crops such as cornstalks. However, you can uproot the leftover green cornstalks, run them through a shredder, or chop them into smaller pieces and then scatter them on your garden. This allows you to power compost them back into the soil. After tilling under crop residues, you can plant a cover crop such as buckwheat, annual ryegrass, peas, or beans to protect your garden soil. This builds soil, adds nutrients to the garden and helps control soil erosion. High-Traction Frame Weights The “High-Traction” Frame Weight Kit is a handy accessory for your tiller. This kit consists of two 13-1/2 lb. cast iron weights which attach to the tiller frame right above each wheel axle. To till very heavy soil or improve tiller traction, the weights are what you need. The weights allow you to till under tougher conditions and till deeper at a somewhat faster rate. 19 Preventing Tines From Becoming Tangled When power composting, you may find that the tines become tangled with material (tall vegetation, long grass, tough vines, etc.). A WARNING Before removing any debris from the tines, stop the engine, allow it to cool, disconnect the spark plug wire and move it away from the spark plug. Failure to do so could result in personal injury or property damage. To help prevent tangling: 1. While tilling, swing the handlebars from side-to-side about 6"-to-12". This “fishtailing” action will often dislodge any debris. 2. Always use the deepest Depth Regulator Lever setting possible (without making the tiller jump or buck upward). 3. Till under cover crops and crop residues while they are still g...