That certainly beats doing it all by hand! Using the trench for composting is a good idea, too.

I got over 3 wheelbarrows of soil along that side of the garden. I will use it for a 2'x9' , bed for my Tromboncino squash, which, I hope that will be the south side of my small greenhouse next year.

Larry

I really like my Mantis. It has done everything I've ever needed for it to do. I can't handle big old rear-tine tillers. It may take me longer since it isn't as wide, but I can do stuff for myself instead of having to wait until Tim has a day off to do the job with the big tiller.

I compost in my pathways, piling on layers of hay, leaves and grass clippings. At the end of the season, I stand there with the compost scoop and scoop the compost into the beds. It sure beats hauling wheelbarrow loads of compost from the big pile to the garden. Of course, I have the big pile too. Actually, there's 4 of them. It takes a lot of compost to amend a large garden space.

A greenhouse, Larry? Yay! It is about time. I love my greenhouse. It allows me to move plants off the light shelf indoors much earlier, and once the current flats of seedlings go out to the greenhouse, then I can start more.

Dawn

Dawn, does you Mantis have a Honda engine on it? Mine does not and is a little hard to start. It has the Faststart system on it but still requires a lot of cranking.

I have problems with my right hip, right shoulder and my back. Cranking any type of engine is a little tough for me to do. Even though my Troy Bilt has electric start it is much harder to use. The Poulan Pro starts much easier than my other two tillers. I even used the Poulan to drag things around that I could not lift, before I bought the riding mower. The Poulan clutch can be operated with one finger on either hand ( I have the throttle wired at full throttle).

The Mantis works better if moved back and forth, or pulled backwards, both which are harder for me to do. The bouncing also hurts my back and shoulder. With the Poulan I can just slip the transmission into forward, till or reverse and squeeze the handle and follow it, or walk along beside it if I choose. I most often follow it and hold on because it is sort of like holding onto a powered walker. it give me much more stability when walking in the loose soil. I can also push soil from one area to another with out bending over.

All of my three tillers are good tillers, I can just get so much more done with the poulan, and with much less effort.

To till in okra stalks or corn stalks requires the Troy Bilt.

Larry

Larry - I love your trenches and the idea of filling them with weeds and other organic matter so you are making compost in your sleep (in a sense).

Dawn - I keep weeds down on garden paths by putting down cardboard, covering it with wood chips left by the tree trimmers mixed with weeds. Each year, repeat the process. I didn't think about the possibilities of composting. It would be wonderful to have a source of compost right next to the beds.

This year, we increased the length of the beds in the kitchen garden and the big garden from from 8' or 12' to 16' so can use cattle panels in some of the beds. Pete cut frames and installs them when he has time. I've been putting down this year's cardboard on the paths. This year, I'll do things differently. Will use Larry's trenches along fence lines, and your sheet composting methods on paths. Having a good supply of compost so close to the gardens should make life easier by fall.

Thank you!!