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Bill who putters · 10-03-2010, 08:19 PM posted to rec.gardens

In article ,
(EVP MAN) wrote:

We had several warm days as well as nights above freezing so yesterday I
went out and pushed a spade deep into the sod. No longer frozen or wet
to the point where the soil couldn't be worked. I edged the outline of
my new garden with a flat spade which went well. Now for the big
decision, how to remove the sod! Well I decided that I bought the
Mantis tiller to save me work so the tiller it would be. Mantis
advertises their tiller can be used to break new ground for a garden and
states it will till up sod. Some people who own this machine say yes it
will and still others say it's not good on sod. Guess what! They are
both right! It will indeed till up sod and do a rather nice job of it
as well IF and this is a big IF, you remove the tines and clear tangled
sod from them after tilling about every 25 sq. ft. Another big IF would
be IF you don't mind being stiff and sore the next day. Don't let the
twenty pound weight of this tiller fool you. It's a real digging
machine that would dig it's way to China if you let it. I'm a 250 lb.
man and this tiny tiller gave me an upper body work out like I never
had. I tilled from 9 am until 6 pm. I reached a point where I could
only till for about five minutes at a time before I had to sit down for
another five minutes to give my arms a rest. Got to the point where
they felt like jelly........LOL I did manage to finally crawl out of
bed today all stiff and sore. The bottom line is: I'm happy with the
tiller and glad I bought it. It did in one day what would have taken me
three or four days to do by hand. After giving my poor body a few days
to heal, I'll be back out there again using that little red mean
machine to till in some soil amendments. This time around should be a
cake walk compared to tilling up sod!

Rich..........Sore in PA

Work the soil when you squeeze it and it comes apart. Seems way to
early to me. Drive about and look at what local farmers are up to. I'd
go slow on the 9 to 6 250 lb man unless you like to suffer and no one
has had coronary issues in your extended family. Are you fit or of
high BMI ?

Thinking about your double digging wish I'd consider renting a ditch
witch. Unless you feel you have too do it harder way also.

--
Bill Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA
http://www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending