Here’s How to Grow Your Garden with a Tiller

A tiller cultivates soil to a depth of about 8 to 10 inches. Most gardeners start tilling in the spring, once the soil is thawed and dry. Whether preparing your property for flower beds, a vegetable garden or a new lawn, the right tiller will prime your soil so that everything grows beautifully.

Tiller Types Front Tine Tillers vs. Rear Tine Tillers Tiller Accessories

Tiller Types

Tillers (also known as rototillers or cultivators) are available in a wide variety of sizes and types, including manual tillers, gas tillers, electric tillers and cordless battery-powered tillers. Here’s how they compare.

Gas Tillers

A gas tiller can do more in less time, thanks to its hardened steel tines, extra power, performance and product features. It is powered by a medium-duty 2-cycle or a heavy-duty 4-cycle engine.

• Used for breaking through hard ground to create new gardens or lawns, digging and aerating compacted soil, weeding, mixing in compost/soil amendments

• Cordless, fueled by a premixed gas-oil mixture (2-cycle engine tillers) or regular unleaded gas (4-cycle engine tillers)

• Moderate maintenance

BEST FOR: Large areas, converting lawn to garden, uneven terrain, commercial use

TIP: If you want a powerful but lightweight and easy-to-handle tiller, opt for a 2-cycle model with adjustable tilling widths. It can manoeuvre through rows of established gardens without damaging plants.

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Front Tine Tillers vs. Rear Tine Tillers

Tillers break, dig, mix and aerate soil using powerful, rotating metal tines. Tillers have either a front-tine or a back-tine design. Each type has different strengths. Here’s how they compare.

Rear Tine Tillers

A rear tine tiller is a robust machine with tines that can rotate three different ways for extra versatility.

• Tines can rotate forward (to push through and blend soil), counter-rotate (to dig deeper into hard-packed or rocky soil) or dual rotate (switch from forward to reverse to suit both soft and compact soil)

• Features include a powerful engine, rugged tires and a bulky frame with counterweights for stability

• Average tilling width: 8 to 36 inches

BEST FOR: Breaking up heavy soil and new ground, working uneven terrain in large gardens and outdoor spaces

TIP: While the power of a rear tine tiller can’t be beat, keep in mind that this bulky machine can’t manoeuvre around tight corners and will require more storage space than other models.

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Tiller Accessories

Get more from your rototiller with these extra accessories. From safety to utility, here’s what you need to round out your gardening toolbox.

Safety Boots

Protect your feet from a tiller’s powerful blades. CSA-rated steel-toe rubber boots will also protect you from any rocks that are kicked up by the machine.

Long Sleeves & Pants

Safeguard your skin from thorny or sharp branches that can lash out from the machine during tilling.

Eye Protection

Safety glasses or goggles can help prevent life-altering injuries from projectiles, like stones, dirt and debris.

Ear Protection

While not essential when using an electric or manual tiller, gas-powered tillers are loud and ear plugs or covers are needed.

Work Gloves

Snug-fitting work gloves ensure manual dexterity for working tiller controls and removing blockages (always turn the tiller off first!).

Soil Amendments

Use your tiller to work in compost, manure and other soil amendments to improve your garden for the growing season ahead.

Garden shovels

An ergonomic shovel will help you move compost and manure to where you need them, so your tiller can work its magic.

Wheelbarrows

Move heavy and cumbersome yard waste with a labour-saving wheelbarrow.

Garden Tools

A hand cultivator, fork, trowel and other tools will help you move from tilling to planting and harvesting.

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