Garden Cultivator vs. Tiller: What’s the Difference?

GETTY IMAGES (2)

Prepping the soil in vegetable plots or flower beds is a garden task that’s easy to overlook, but turning it can help aerate compacted soil, minimize weeds and add organic matter to promote plant growth. To do a good job with forks and hoes takes time and requires plenty of back-aching elbow grease. Board-certified agronomist and Founder of Naturalawn of America Phil Catron explains that using mechanized equipment, such as cultivators and tillers, is less physically demanding. “Additionally, these tools improve soil structure more effectively than manual methods and offer significant benefits in dealing with compacted soil and poor drainage,” he says.

If you’re weighing up a garden cultivator vs. tiller for turning landscape soil, you might see these terms are often used interchangeably. However, both yardwork tools have distinct purposes. I spoke with two soil management specialists to learn the differences between garden cultivators and tillers to help you decide which one will serve you best.

What’s a Cultivator?

Julia Klueva/Getty Images

You could describe a garden cultivator as a mechanized combination of a hoe and a rake. Lakshmy Gopinath, a lawn biology scientist at Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, says they have short, close-together tines for shallow soil penetration. Cultivators are smaller than tillers and come in people-, gas- or electric-powered varieties.

When to use a cultivator

“A cultivator is designed to turn and aerate soil that has already been tilled, making it ideal for maintenance rather than initial soil preparation,” Catron says. Gopinath says cultivators are also helpful for removing weeds between rows of plants and mixing compost or fertilizer into soil.

How much does a cultivator cost?

Cultivator prices vary considerably depending on the size and power method of the model. You could spend around $50 for a basic model and up to $600 for one of the best garden cultivators.

Cultivator Pros and Cons

Because they’re smaller and easier to maneuver, a bonus of cultivators is that they’re ideal for use in tight garden spaces and for regular maintenance where bigger equipment becomes unwieldy. However, “cultivator tines can’t dig as deeply as tillers, limiting their effectiveness for initial soil preparation,” Gopinath says. Plus, they won’t break through heavily compacted soil as effectively.

Cultivator Alternatives

If you don’t want to splash out on a motorized cultivator, manually maintaining your soil using a hoe and rake is a budget-friendly option.

What’s a Tiller?

VITAGA/GETTY IMAGES

Tillers are heavy-duty, versatile gardening machinery with more power than cultivators. “Tillers are equipped with longer and wider tines that can dig deep into soil,” Gopinath says. “They’re available in various types, including front-tine, rear-tine, and vertical-tine, which are each made for different soil conditions and tasks.”

Front-tine tillers are more compact and maneuverable, and powerful rear-tine tillers break through large areas of compact soil faster. Vertical-tine tillers are a newer market entry, cutting forward through the soil rather than downward. They’re more powerful than front-line tillers and work faster than rear-tine models. Plus, their slicing motion can help better preserve soil health than deep digging.

When to use a tiller

A tiller is the tool for you if you want to transform a new, large landscape with dense clay soil. “They’re designed to break up hard ground and can handle heavy-duty tasks like turning over compacted soil,” Gopinath says. “They’re often used to prepare soil before planting.”

How much does a tiller cost?

The cost of tillers varies depending on the type, size, and engine power. Decent motorized front-tine tillers start at around $250, and heavy-duty rear-tine models could set you back as much as $3,000. If you’re only tilling your garden once a year, renting a tiller may be a wiser investment.

Tiller Pros and Cons

Tillers can deeply penetrate even the most heavily compacted soils. However, the best garden tillers are pricey, require more maintenance than cultivators, and their size can make them challenging to maneuver. Plus, tilling too aggressively, too deep or too often can break down the soil too much, disrupting its microbial health and making it more prone to compaction and erosion.

Tiller Alternatives

Low-tech, manual tilling using a broad fork (a tool with 3 to 5 wide tines across a horizontal bar) can reduce compaction without compromising soil health.

According to Gopinath, the ‘no-till’ method to help promote healthy soil structure is also common practice. “Mulch, no-mix compost and cover crops are ways to practice this method and allow for a protective cover for the soil as well as the penetration of nutrients with minimal disturbance,” she says.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to till/cultivate my garden?

“While tilling and cultivating have their benefits and can be essential depending on the state of your soil, they’re not universally necessary,” Gopinath says. It’s possible to use manual methods to break up soil gently.

How often should I use a cultivator and tiller in my garden?

Gopinath suggests tilling once initially for new soil and then annually or as needed based on soil compaction. “Cultivating should be practiced more regularly or every few weeks during the growing season for weed control and soil aeration, with caution around established plants,” she says. Catron cautions against using these tools too frequently because “they will disrupt the soil’s microbial life, which is crucial for providing plants with essential nutrients.”

How deep should I till my garden?

How deep you till your garden depends on your planting needs. You might need to till up to 18 inches deep in plots where you plan to plant root vegetables, and 8 to 12 inches deep is typical for flower beds. Catron recommends avoiding deep tilling wherever possible to preserve soil structure and microbial health. He also advises waiting several weeks before planting after deep tilling. This allows organic matter to settle and soil nutrients to develop.

About the Experts

• Phil Catron is the President and Founder of NaturaLawn of America. He has a master’s degree in agronomy and is a Board-Certified Agronomist with the American Society of Agronomy; email interview, Aug. 6, 2024.

• Lakshmy Gopinath, Ph.D., is a Lawn Biology Scientist at Scotts Miracle-Gro Company with 10+ years of experience in plant science research; email interview, Aug. 8, 2024.