Garden folks: Tractor tiller or hand tiller?

[Chew]

The wife and I are about to start our first garden that's not raised bed/container/barrel-hydroponic. I have a 34 hp tractor and a buddy next door with a 3 pt. tiller attachment. But the wife thinks it's overkill and more trouble than it's worth. She wants to use a regular rear tine tiller. What do y'all think? We will have two separate garden spots and will be mixing in compost and mushroom mulch. Is a 3 pt. tiller a PITA? Or a big help?

Hard to tell size....but not too big.

[tps7742]

If you have access to a 3 point as you have said, use it. It’s just like hooking your rotary cutter up to your three point. Just make sure you go very slow while tilling up your ground and believe me it’s not overkill. The walk behind will give you a work out. Sunny spot would be better and east to west sun exposure even better. Find you some local older local folks that garden and pick their brains on gardening for your area.

Ex: my elder aunt that is a serious gardener plants potatoes and g90 corn on February 14 unless very wet like it is now. Another gentleman told me don’t plant tomatoes etc until the pecan trees start budding out. He swears it will not freeze after they start budding out. Appears to work for us here but some folks will argue otherwise.

[Texas Grown]

Depends on how big it's gonna be.

[twistedmidnite]

A garden is like a shop, always best to go bigger than you think you need. Make your rows far enough apart to run down them periodically with your walk behind tiller. It'll help with the weeds especially if it's a first year garden.

[Macntexas]

My wife has a 40’x40’ garden and we had our neighbor churn it good with his tractor tiller to get started. Soon discovered we needed raised rows because the tractor tilled garden alone collected too much water so we added rose soil to get raised rows for planting and it helped manage the amount of water on the planted seeds…which helped a lot. Since then we’ve managed it easily with a walk behind tiller for mixing in fertilizer in the planting rows before planting and then also for keeping the walking areas between the rows clean from weeds.

For what it’s worth, I think tilling initially with the tractor is the way to go. But having raised rows for planting makes a big difference. Once established the walk behind tiller is easy enough to maintain it.


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[LivinADream]

3pt wouldnt plant without mine.

[tps7742]

My wife has a 40’x40’ garden and we had our neighbor churn it good with his tractor tiller to get started. Soon discovered we needed raised rows because the tractor tilled garden alone collected too much water so we added rose soil to get raised rows for planting and it helped manage the amount of water on the planted seeds…which helped a lot. Since then we’ve managed it easily with a walk behind tiller for mixing in fertilizer in the planting rows before planting and then also for keeping the walking areas between the rows clean from weeds.

For what it’s worth, I think tilling initially with the tractor is the way to go. But having raised rows for planting makes a big difference. Once established the walk behind tiller is easy enough to maintain it.


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Not to sound like a SA but it’s normal for the rows to be raised I thought. At least we have always made the rows raised. I now have an attachment that makes the rows in my bigger garden. Thanks to Mr Charlie (saltwaterslick) showing his on the gardening thread.

[cva34]

I got both.The tractor gets it as long as there's Room to TA

[60 Deluxe]

I usually start with a middle buster to break the crust, then go over it with a tiller. It takes a lot of work off of the tiller. I used to work for an old farmer up in Illinois. One of his favorite sayings was; "it takes twenty-one years to build a man and eight hours to build a tractor, so use the tractor."

[Radar]

Big tiller once a year in January to mulch up everything, little tiller between the rows during growing season. Get a small rear tine tiller, they are easier to control than a front tine. I always "hill" all my rows though and leave enough space between them for the small tiller.

[Quackerbox]

Big tiller once a year in January to mulch up everything, little tiller between the rows during growing season. Get a small rear tine tiller, they are easier to control than a front tine. I always "hill" all my rows though and leave enough space between them for the small tiller.

That's what I'd do

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[BTLowry]

Find a rear tine tiller to rent/borrow and put your wife on it for a bit, bet she changes her mind right quick

For a new garden spot go with the 3pt, next year the previously tilled soil will not be too bad with a rear tine.

Radar has the best advice, start with 3pt and use the rear tine to maintain between rows

[J-Carp]

What strand of the devils lettuce you looking to plant? Or you gonna sell it as certified organic or farm raised?

[wdtorque]

Stay with raised beds. Tillers are outdated and a PIA, they do nothing except make compact soil and stir up weed seeds. Much less work with heavily mulched raised beds with plants 🪴 paced far enough apart for growth, disease prevention and crop production.


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[Katch66]

The three point, especially for the first time. Let that tractor do the work on busting up the grass, weeds, and roots. Afterwards using the rear tine tiller will be much easier.