What does a rotavator do?

A rotavator also called a cultivator or tiller is a machine that breaks up, stirs, churns, and aerates the soil before planting to ensure a balanced seedbed. It can also be used to kill weeds by uprooting them. For instance, rotavating an allotment, field, vegetable path, or garden will bury leaves from a weed to disturb its ability to make energy through photosynthesis so that it is practically dead.

Furthermore, rotavating warms the soil to promote plant growth and clears up the area to expose insects to birds.

Other things rotavators are useful for include:

• Digging unused land ready for cultivation
• Digging space for fruit trees
• Digging trenches for potatoes
• Ploughing/tilling the plot to turn over the soil
• Cultivation of the ground by getting rid of weeds on the surface
• Mixing mulches into the soil to fertilise it.

What is the difference between a rotavator, cultivator, and garden tiller?

When assessing the different types of rotavators, you will come across terms such as rotavator, cultivator, or garden tiller. Essentially, all three terms are the same and refer to a machine that mechanises the process for crops to be planted into, churn the soil to increase water, add nutrients to the soil, to control weeds, and to warm the soil before planting.

Nowadays, large agricultural commercial cultivating tasks are performed by tractors that are equipped with hydraulic wings, but for the purposes of this article, we will only discuss rotavators that are made for the gardener who handles small to medium tillage jobs.

The main difference between cultivators and rotavators lies in their tine blade positioning.

More affordable, smaller rotavators are called cultivators because their front-tine is slightly smaller and is located in the front. The tines which dig into the soil propel the cultivator forward.

Higher end models have tines located at the rear side mounted behind the drive wheels. The engine on these rotavtors is mounted on the front of the machine which gives the machine better control and traction. Because of their wheel, they are easier to handle and work more smoothly than front-tine cultivators. These models are best for maintaining larger gardens.

Best rotavators for sale

When purchasing, keep these buying criteria in mind:

• Avoid buying second-hand rotavators because minor damage can pose serious health risks. Making an extra 10% investment can ensure you have a solid product that will last for years
• Choose a rotavator size depending on how often you use it and the size of your garden or allotment
• Make sure your cultivator has a good engine that has at least 3.5 BHP (brake horsepower).
• Check to make sure if there are extra accessories that are available to purchase because added accessories can transform you rotavator into a machine that can handle far more other tasks.
• Read product reviews

Here is a list of the best rotavators for sale analysed by Weedicide.:

Best Manual Rotavator

Wolf Garten Multi Change Soil Miller

If you do not find a machine cultivator suitable for your garden related tilling tasks, then you may be interested in using a manual rotavator. The manual rotavator is the Wolf-Garten multi-change soil miller. It has a 10-year guarantee and is manufactured with cold-rolled steel with a silver finish.

Many small allotment owners have used this product and have garnered close to 150 5 star review on Amazon.co.uk.

The Wolf Garten Multi Change Soil Miller has an oscillating hoe at the rear and sharp tines to cut through soil effectively. It not only breaks up the soil, but it also mixes it to get a nice blend of nutrients. One thing you need to take a note of is that this Wolf-Garten manual tiller requires you to purchase the handle separately which costs about 10 GBP.

Best Electric rotavator

VonHaus Electronic 1050W Cultivator

This garden tiller is equipped with four strong blades and can turn soil up to 22cm in depth. It is a very easy to use machine suitable for small to medium sized gardens or allotments. It extended 10-metre power cord allows give you a farther reach. It includes a 2-year warranty.

Vonhaus electric rotavator has a full control ergonomic grip and an overload protection system that prevents you from damaging the tiller.

Best Petrol Rotavator

Hyundai HYT140 4-Stroke Petrol Garden Tiller & Cultivator

The Hyundai HYT140 is a top of the line petrol rotavator that has a cutting width of 37 centimetres and is suitable for any soil. It is self-propelled with its 4HP 139CC 4-stroke engine with a robust gearbox that drives the four steel blades mounted behind the wheels. It is perfect for garden use where aerating is required before plant cultivation. The product currently ships for free within the UK and is at a discounted price. It includes a 1-year warranty

Best Heavy Duty Rotavator

Titan TP1000 9HP Diesel Tiller

The Titan Pro TP1100B rotavator is a top of the line product suitable for heavy duty gardening tasks. Although it runs on a 9HP diesel engine, it has an entirely electronic starting system. Also, it has a fully adjustable handle which lets you adjust to your height/size. Similarly, it even has adjustable blade tines that can be changed from 8 centimetres to 13 centimetres

This a heavy-duty rotavator with 3-speed options through a gearbox.

How to use: Instructions

When we are using a rotavator on the soil, it is called tilling. A rotavator helps to break up the soil for planting, and at the same time, you can blend in nutrients for a well-cultivated garden. We’ll show you what you need to start a good planting bed such as evaluating your soil, adding amendments and operating the rotavator. Now, if your planting bed is small, you can use an electric cultivator.

1. If you are not tilling on bare ground and starting a new garden in turf, you should first remove the sod. Also take some time to remove the weeds or apply a weed killer a couple of weeks before using the rotavator. Use the best brush cutter to clear the area of excess vegetation.
2. For existing gardens, pull up any thick weeds but don’t bother with pulling smaller weeds. The tiller will chop them up.
3. Make sure you check with your municipality to make sure you are not digging near any utility lines.
4. Before you start tilling you will need to evaluate the soil. If the ground is usually wet or has high clay content, you can add sand or gypsum. This helps to stir and allow moisture and nutrients to travel through the soil. You can test the soil for other conditions with a soil testing kit that will check things such as pH levels, and nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium content
5.  If the soil test gives a low pH reading, the soil is acidic. Add lime or wood ash to balance it. If the test reveals a high pH reading, the soil is alkaline. To balance it, add some peat moss, composted leaves, or sawdust.
6. After you have added the amendments, it’s time to mix them into the soil with a rotavator. It will blend organic material deep into the earth where it is needed the most. The optimal time to till is a day or two after it rains, so the soil is somewhat dry.
7. Get your rotavator and set the depth at a shallow setting if your soil is hard and compacted. If your soil is soft, adjust to a medium setting.
8. Start the cultivator after following the manufacturer’s instructions
9. Work the tines in slow strips across the garden.
10. After you have tilled the entire allotment, adjust the cultivator to its highest setting and make perpendicular passes while walking slowly. Keep tilling until the organic material is mixed thoroughly to a depth of 10 inches.
11. Now you need to leave the soil alone for a few days or if possible, several weeks. The materials will begin to decompose and enrich the soil with nutrients.
12. Once the land has rested, it is time to till it again to aerate it to make sure the nutrients are well-mixed. Therefore, adjust the rotavator to medium setting and make passes across the garden. By now the soil will be loose, soft, and adequately textured, ideal for planting.

Conclusion

Rotavators can help your garden or allotment when it is in need of soil therapy. The tilling effects of a cultivator are appreciated gardeners see their effort pay off in the form of positive plant growth. The right rotavator can be a great investment not only for yourself but your garden where a thriving ecosystem has the potential to exist. Remember to follow all safety precautions outlined in your rotavator’s user manual. All things considered, rotavators continue to be helpful machines used to ensure soil quality.

Mosses can be found from the Arctic region all the way through to the tropics and sections of the Antarctic. Even though they mostly live in damp, shaded areas in temperate climates, some survive in deserts while others live in bogs and streams. As a result moss can be categorised as a aquatic weed such as blanket weed.

In forests, mosses commonly form a mat that inhabits the ground or surfaces of rotting tree logs.

Mosses are capable of storing large amounts of water in their cells, but if a drought continues for an extended time, they become dormant until it rains. Most mosses reproduce asexually by fragmentation. Essentially, any part of the moss plant can grow and produce leaflike thalli.

While there are many ways to control moss, there is a single organic/natural product that is an effective moss killer, iron sulphate.

Iron/Ferrous Sulphate

Iron Sulphate also called ferrous sulphate or sulphate of Iron is a type of salt that exists as a heptahydrate. Heptahydrate is a chemically combined compound that has seven molecules of water just the same as magnesium sulphate. Its chemical formula is FeSO4.

Iron sulphate is used in a wide variety of industries including the medical, manufacturing, and horticulture sectors. Iron sulphate is also used as a granular fertiliser.

Ferrous sulphate’s use as a moss killer helps to acidify alkaline soils to provide ideal conditions for a range of ericaceous plants. It is also effective and cost efficient means of controlling moss and algae and as an ingredient in both lawn sand and lawn dressings.

Iron causes moss to go black. In fact, iron sulphate causes a burn effect on the moss so that the plant becomes fragile and eventually dies. Because iron sulphate is good for use as a fertiliser, it will benefit your lawn and make it greener. Essentially, it has a selective mechanism that only targets moss.

An important key point to keep in mind is that moss does not kill lawns but grows on the surface of the grass. Over time, grass will have to try hard to compete for sunlight which can cause the lawn to go astray. Moreover, moss is an opportunist and thrives where grass does not.

Key benefits

Some key benefits of using this product are:

• The sulphate acidifies the soil and promotes fine leaved grass growth. High alkaline soil hurts grass growth.
• Controls unwanted moss that ruin the appearance of your lawn
• Reduces that chance of turf disease
• Fertilises the soil

Best Iron Sulphate Moss Killer

This ferrous sulphate of iron is the best and most popular one in the United Kingdom. It has rave reviews totalling close to 400 five-star ratings. It is a highly effective product and works to get rid of moss but keeps the lawn healthy. Furthermore, it has the power to make your lawn look greener.

How to use Sulphate of Iron

Before you begin treating your lawn or garden, you need to aerate the lawn to remove dead leaves and thatch. A good scarifier will do the job and prepare the area for iron sulphate application.

The two ways you can apply ferrous sulphate to your lawn and garden are through a spreader or a garden sprayer.

The best time to use iron sulphate is during spring or autumn.

Here are the instructions:

1. Aerate the lawn using a lawn scarifier and remove dead vegetation and thatch.
2. Choose whether you want to use a garden sprayer or spreader (check our garden sprayer reviews or choose the evergreen spreader). The Evergreen spreader is meant to spread granular lawn products so it is a perfect match of iron sulphate. From our standpoint, we do not recommend using a garden sprayer because often the salts from iron sulphate do not mix well with water and result in a clogged nozzle.
3. If you choose to use a sprayer, then pick a day when there is little wind and ensure rain will not fall within a 24 hour period. To use, measure 17 millimetres of ferrous sulphate and mix it with 4.5 litres of warm water. This mixture will be able to treat 200 square metres. Next, position your sprayer and treat affected areas.
4. If you choose to use a spreader, then you will need to water the treated area thoroughly or let the rain do it for you after using. No weather restrictions are using this method. To use: separate the iron sulphate into two halves, fill the spreader with enough substance and begin performing the spreading over the lawn.
5. After the moss is dead, re-scarify the lawn or use a rake to remove the excess debris.
6. Check the acidity of the soil with a soil pH test kit. The best soil pH for grass is between 6.5 to 7. If your soil pH is above 7, it is too alkaline, and if it is below 6.5, then it is too acidic.
7. Apply five to ten pounds of lime per 100 square metres to neutralise the soil’s pH level (given the test indicates an acidic soil).
8. Add organic compost to fertilise the lawn or garden.

Safety and Precautions

Following these pointers to maximise safety when handling ferrous sulphate

• Wear protective gear including overalls, gloves, goggles, and face mask
• Mix the iron sulphate in a separate container, then fill sprayer
• Handle carefully and avoid drift to concrete patios, paths, and driveways.
• Read the safety data sheet supplied with your purchase.

Laws and Legislation Controversy

There seems to be a workaround iron sulphate manufacturers are using to avoid legislative action to their products. By law, every form of pesticide, whether it be a herbicide, fungicide, or moss killer requires registration with the UK Health and Safety Executive. The catch is iron sulphate can be marketed as a fertiliser or a moss killer.

Companies who market iron sulphate as a moss killer must first get government approval. However, companies who market iron sulphate as a fertiliser do not need any permission whatsoever. In theory, the ferrous sulphate in these products is the same but are marketed for a different purpose and different price.

Conclusion

Moss does not compete well with a healthy lawn. And if you use ferrous sulphate to create a lush garden or yard then you will get your money’s worth. However, when treating moss one should take all the contributing growth factors such as season, climate, shade levels, rain levels, soil type, and nutrient content of the soil into consideration. By approaching garden problems in a holistic way, you can ensure your success as a gardener.