The first step in our annual vegetable garden adventure is to plant seeds in March so that seedlings are ready for transplant in mid-May. And so they have been. Most of the tomatoes this year will be Marmande, but there are also some Roma and a couple of Lancelot (those are small cherry-like tomatoes). I've also got zucchini and basil seedlings in the greenhouse.
The second step is to till up the soil and add amendments like compost or other fertilizers as necessary. That will happen in the coming weeks. But first, the tiller needed some attention. The gas cap is broken and the machine lost its ability to reverse. Ken talked to a guy over at a local garden center about repairs. He came by a couple of days ago and picked up the machine and is having a look at it. He's supposed to give us an estimate of what it would cost to get it back into good repair (we've had it since 2004). Then we will make a decision to either repair it or get a new (or used) one.
That’s an old tiller.
ReplyDeleteI have just bought [last year] a battery tiller/rotavator.... and it is good.... like the Mantis petrol tiller, you walk backwards as you till. It doesn't break couch/twitch roots but winds them in [a kitchen knife removes them].... same with dandelions, they come out with root intact [or in some cases roots - our stony ground causes that] The batteries last a good hour before recharge and charge in an hour, too.
ReplyDeleteOur Potager is a series of 20 beds, each one metre by three.... one hours run sees me through five beds rotavated to 25cms.... from scratch! Instant start, no petrol, and quiet!
This is it:
https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B01MG5G3FX/
288€ with charger and two batteries... on the basis that there is only me using one thing at a time, I also have their mower for small areas, their emasculator [electric pruner] and their hedge trimmer.
The mower came first with two separate chargers.... the double one is much neater!
Well, that's great that the guy came and picked it up. That's half of the repair problem!
ReplyDeleteI say follow Tim's recommendation. Ken's been battling with that old tiller for too many years.
ReplyDeletemitch, I won't tell Ken you said that. ;)
ReplyDeletetim, thanks! We do have an electric tiller, similar to that, except that it's corded - no battery.
judy, there are a lot of old folks around that need that service. *cough cough*
sheila, true. We've already started downsizing the garden, so there is less to till.