Tiller or Cultivator

Before starting a garden, it’s important to establish a healthy foundation. One of the first steps for many people when preparing for a garden is breaking up the soil within their designated plot of land using tillers or cultivators. Some people prefer using manual gardening tools. However, depending on the size of your planned garden and your commitment to re-planting each year, rototillers require less effort, make the ground easier to work with and help disperse the nutrients found in your soil evenly.

New roots must be able to spread through more pliable soil for healthier plant growth and development. Garden tillers turn over the soil to bring nutrients to the surface and break large blocks of soil into finer pieces so new fragile roots can establish themselves.

To break up extremely hard soil or ground that has never before been used for a garden, rear tine tiller models are designed for maximum depth and turnover. Front tine tillers are generally used for maintenance of smaller gardens since they are more maneuverable and easier to operate. For more information, check out our guide to choosing the right tiller.