Although it is usually only used during spring months, when garden preparation takes place, the garden cultivator may be the most important piece of equipment to be found in the garden tool shed. The cultivator has many uses in the garden, including turning over soil in preparation for planting, turning in soil amendments, such as compost and other organic matter, or eliminating weeds from areas that are too large for pulling to be practical.
Gas powered cultivators come in several styles and sizes, from 12 inch up to 24 inch or larger, and even mini-cultivators, for areas that are close quarters can be cultivated and kept weed free. Both front and rear tine tillers are available, as well as tillers that can be towed behind a tractor or ATV, for exceptionally large areas. Some models may even feature both forward and reverse, to make turning around in tight spaces and tilling the corners much easier. Accessories that can be attached include: tiller rakes; box scraper blades and row crop tillers to make every spring garden chore easier. Hand operated cultivators are also available for very small garden spaces.
Turning over large plots of soil to prepare a garden bed, turning soil amendments in to prepare soil with needed nutrients to give plants a good start, and bending, kneeling and stooping to remove weeds from even small areas can take a toll on knees, legs and back. Garden cultivators make big garden tasks manageable and save a lot of bending and kneeling. They have the advantage over mowing or weed eating, because weeds that have been cultivated will remain gone for the remainder of the season, where mowing and weed eating must be done repeatedly to keep weeds at bay. Garden cultivators also save time, as the time it takes to cultivate an area is much less than the time it takes to dig the same area.
For gardens large or small, cultivators make the gardener's job easier. They save time, energy and aches and pains, by tilling soil in preparation for planting or eliminating unwanted weeds. No matter what the garden size, there is a cultivator to do the job right. Garden cultivators may just be a gardener's best friend.
