Troy-Bilt 12087 - Manual (Page 36)

SPECIAL TROY-BILT GARDENING TECHNIQUE— Till Under Standing Cornstalks
After com is harvested, the
stalks should be tilled into the soil
while still green. If you wait until
they’ve dried out, they’ll be harder
to till under, and the roots will
break loose from the soil which
you don’t want!
(Don’tpull the
roots out by hand or cut the stalks
before tilling — it is only when the
stalks are still firmly anchored by
their roots that the chopping and
cutting action of the tines gets a
chance to work best.)
Three Rules For Tilling Under
Cornstalks
Knocking down cornstalks and
tilling them into the soil is not hard
to do if you understand three basic
principles: First - As you move
forward into a row of stalks, aim
the tiller so the stalks go between
the left wheel and the transmission
case (see Photo 4-24). Don’t use
the right wheel because damage
could occur to the air cleaner, car­
buretor or throttle linkage.
Second- Each new pass should
overlap the previous pass by one-
half the width of the tiller.
Third - Till as deeply as possible.
Pull the Depth Regulator all the
way UP and engage the lowest
notch for deep tilling. Use either
LOW or HIGH belt range and
SLOW wheel speed gear position.
Note: Depending upon the size
and height of the stalks, you may
be able to use LOW belt range and
PAST wheel speed gear.
Let the tilled in stalks decom­
pose for a week or so. Then till in
the remaining residue as deep as
possible. Again, overlap your till­
ing passes so everything gets thor­
oughly processed. After another
week, sow a cover crop, like an­
nual rye grass.
Photo 4-23:
First Pass -
Till along first
cornstalk row,
with right
tiller wheel up
against but
not touching
cornstalks, to
loosen the
soil next to
the corn­
stalks.
Photo 4-25:
Third Pass -
Go back over
the stalks you
knocked
down from the
opposite di­
rection. This
buries much
of the residue
3"-to-4" deep.
Photo 4-24:
Second Pass
- Approach
the row of
cornstalks
from the op­
posite direc­
tion. Align
tiller so row
of stalks is
between left
wheel and
transmission
case. Knock
down stalks,
partially
burying them.
Photo 4-26:
Fourth Pass
- Till be­
tween the
buried row
and the next
standing row
to loosen
soil. Now re­
peat instruc­
tions given
for the first
three passes.
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