Using a Rotary Hoe

The Sweeper

Question on rotavating, for those of you who have actually physically done the task yourselves.

The short version of this question: how easy it is?

The long version:

If I were to hire a two-wheel tractor type rotary hoe, given that it weighs about 90kgs, am I (female, shoulders not like a stevedore's) going to be able to use it myself? Much of the ground I want rotovated is even, but here and there, the ground slopes. Is it likely to run away from me on a slope? Have I a snowball's chance of controlling the thing, or am I going to put myself at serious risk of amputation at the knees, and would I be better off hiring a professional?

Last thing, I have heavy clay soil - which makes me think rotavating it is going to be like rotavating concrete, but hey, I'm always up for having a go...

Leadership

I rotavated a strip of ground for a hedge row last weekend and it nearly broke me.

I am a 20st rugby player and I found the rotavator quite hard to control. After an hour I started getting used to controlling it and once the ground started to break up it was fairly easy. My partner who sounds a similar size to you and no stranger to hard work tried to control it gave up after a while for safety/confidence reasons

The clay soil was a complete pain especially if it mixed with grass as it made fiberous lumps that clung to the machine making it even harder to control. I found if it cut the grass first as short as I could then that made life so much easier.

Lastly I would say go for it! Rotavate up hill where possible. Also to start it off dig a small hole then the blades can cut straight into soil.

Sonnenblumen

MJD

these machines are very strong especially if diesel powered and even for experienced users require careful attention. They are also heavy and a little cumbersome which would pose problems for new users. Reluctant to say never but probably not feasible.

A common mistake people make with rotovators is the pulling power/acceleration which combined with rough terrain or novice driving is a significant risk of an accident. People are either going too fast or trying to dig too deep.

'Less hurry more haste approach' should apply!

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

Question on rotavating, for those of you who have actually physically done the task yourselves.

The short version of this question: how easy it is?

The long version:

If I were to hire a two-wheel tractor type rotary hoe, given that it weighs about 90kgs, am I (female, shoulders not like a stevedore's) going to be able to use it myself? Much of the ground I want rotovated is even, but here and there, the ground slopes. Is it likely to run away from me on a slope? Have I a snowball's chance of controlling the thing, or am I going to put myself at serious risk of amputation at the knees, and would I be better off hiring a professional?

Last thing, I have heavy clay soil - which makes me think rotavating it is going to be like rotavating concrete, but hey, I'm always up for having a go...

The Sweeper

Hmmm. I am indeed doubtful, but I might pop into our local machine hire centre and see what they have there and chat to the guys who own the place. They'll run me out of there if they think it's unfeasible with their kit - they don't want it broken and they don't want me suing them if I amputate my toes.

Saying that, the sort of rotovating I want is a huge job. Based on yesterday's discoveries, it feels like the ground needs to be tilled to a depth of a foot or more, gypsum and organic material mixed all through and then levelled. I'm not even sure it's a good idea now to rotovate it, I wonder if simply using mulches, deep soaking and nutrient-rich washes to improve the soil over a couple of seasons might be better.

Started doing some planting out yesterday - figured I'd start with a herb garden. The soil is tightly packed clay, and it's as dry as a bone even 18 inches down. Subsequently it's utterly hydrophobic and water runs off it. So you dig a large, deep hole, at least twice the size of the plant's root ball, which takes an age and is easier with a hand trowel than a garden spade, because it's more like archaeology than digging. Then water in some gypsum, in a kind of 'I hope this helps' alchemy. Then line the large hole with organic material - mushroom compost mixed with some sand and a little lime, in this case, because it's herbs. Water it in. Wait 40 minutes for the water to sink away out of the hole. Backfill with a combination of compost and topsoil and firm down. Water in well, which is a slow process because you need to wait for the water to seep into the ground instead of just running off.

Then add some blood and bone to the surface , but not immediately around the plants or in the area that I know their root ball is in. It's more like adding it over the undug areas of the large bed. Water that in. Then apply about an inch of shredded newspapers to the surface of the bed. Soak those. Then mulch over that with a 3" thick layer of already-soaked pea straw which has been sitting in water in the wheelbarrow for an hour. Then do a number of surface waterings over the pea straw with a dilute seaweed solution and a little worm tea.

Then do a little natural garden meditation and chanting in the hope of magically attracting even a single earthworm to your property.


...it's going to be a very long haul.

Sonnenblumen

MJD

the basic 4-5HP rotovator might be easier to use in your site for general ground turning, grading etc. For plant holes, an alternative to expending huge energy digging with spades etc would be to use a fence post auger (Stihl).

Augers are a very efficient way to dig lots of holes (for planting) in tough terrain!

Minder

Speak to any farmers in the area about using a rotary tiller to turn your hard clay over.

The Sweeper

There's a pic on that list of google image searches - the machine from the website cehwiedel.com. That's the very machine my old neighbour has, but he's told me I haven't a snowball's hope in hell of controlling it, so anything along those lines is out if I'm doing it myself.

Will see what I can do about finding someone to just rotovate for me - or persuading himself that his one day off a week should be spent behind a rotary hoe. (I could try persuading him it's good exercise?)

Minder

I'd forget about using a hand operated tiller for either you, himself or anyone else - tractor towed has got to be the way forward - any neighbour got a tractor? You could probably hire a box tiller from an Agri hire place.

mister gullible

The best way is to get someone with a minidigger to break up the ground. You can get very small diggers if the space is limited and right now you should be able to negotiate a good price. You can rotovate the ground easily enough afterwards with a small rotovator. Trying to break up new ground with a rotovator by itself is really tough and takes a fair bit of time.

The Sweeper

I'm liking the mini digger. I can hire a bobcat locally for a relatively small fee. I could kill two bird with one stone if I were to use it - break up the garden, plus redistribute some top soil that's just getting in the way...