How to cultivate your garden

Prepare the soil in your Sheffield garden with a Rotavator or petrol Tiller machine

Good fertile soil is the key to any garden project, Plants including flowers and vegetables need fertile soil that is loose, water drainable, and rich in nutrients.

If you can achieve this at your garden or allotment in Sheffield you will be allowing your plants to have good root growth with a strong yield of crops. 

In order to start the successful planting of vegetables, fruit, and flowers you can prepare the soil by way of using a tiller or a rotavator machine. 

Rotavators and Tillers

Both of these types of machines are able to help with preparing the soil at your Sheffield allotment or home. They both dig into the soil and turn it over allowing it to become aerated, loose, and creating an environment for plants to develop afterwards.

Having good soil is essential for the growing of healthy and productive plants and having the use of a petrol rotavator or tiller can save you hours of otherwise manual labour to achieve this. 

Do you need a rotavator or a tiller?   

Apart from the physical size and weight difference between most tillers and rotavators (rotavators are usually quite heavy and bulky in size when compared to a tiller) there are some clear differences that may help you to choose which of these machines you need to prepare the soil in your garden or at your allotment. 

A rotavator is chosen for work in large areas and especially on soil where a new planting bed is being created. They are usually driven by wheels and have large cutting blades that turn over compacted soil.

As already mentioned petrol engined rotavators are usually far larger in size than a tiller machine, they are also considerably heavier. 

Note: If you are considering to buy or hire a rotavator ensure you consider a tiller first!

In most cases a tiller machine is what private (non trade) users really need, and especially on allotments and gardens that have existing flower borders and planting areas!  

A tiller is an item of garden machinery that is usually far smaller in physical size than a rotavator, they are also lighter in-weight making them more manageable, and of course this plays a large part if you need to transport such a machine from your home to maybe your Sheffield allotment.

A tiller will work best on ground that has previously been used for the growing of plants (vegetables fruit, or flowers) and for dedicated borders and cultivation plots. 

The soil on your growing plot needs to be moist for a tiller machine to work best, it doesn't want to be wet or waterlogged, and at the same time it mustn't be rock hard. 

A good idea is to test the soil in your Sheffield garden or allotment before starting to use a petrol tiller, to check for if water can permeate it as well as it's ph level. If the soil is too wet consider adding grit and sand, or maybe gypsum, this will help the break-up of the soil and allow nutrients and moisture to move within it. 

When to use a tiller or rotavator    

The soil in your garden or allotment plot should be semi-dry, so if it has rained wait a day or two for the soil to dry-out a little.

Having a little moisture will make the ground easier to turn-over and be broke up.

If the soil is too wet it will just "clump up" and dry out into hard lumps that will be difficult to cultivate. 

As far as the best time of year to till or rotavate usually spring or towards the end of summer is best, so for the areas of Sheffield (as well as nearby Bakewell, Chesterfield, Dinnington, Dronfield, Hathersage, Hope, Staveley, and Worksop) this includes March though to the end of May as well as towards the end of August through to October.

Where to obtain rotavator hire in Sheffield from? 

There are several companies in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield where you can rent one of these machines from. 

Our recommended supplier is: 

Turner Hire and Sales 

426 London Road 

Sheffield 

S2 4ND 

Telephone 0114 2581682 

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