A power cultivator is also known as a rototiller or tiller. It is typically used to work the earth into a plot capable of growing plants, vegetables and flowers. The power cultivator incorporates a gasoline- or electrical-powered engine to drive the tiller tines through the earth. On some models, the engine also powers the wheels to assist in moving the tiller through the work site.
Gasoline powered cultivators have been around since the 1940s. Prior to the power cultivator, the tools were pulled by horse or simply pushed through the earth by hand. With the addition of the gasoline engine, larger farming plots could be easily worked by a single person. This advancement allowed prices to be lowered on fruits and vegetables since the producer was able to grow more with no extra effort.
The electric power cultivator came into being in the 1960s. This model made it possible for people in city locations to work small plots of dirt for vegetables and flowers without the noise of a gasoline engine. These cultivators were either operated on a battery or through the use of an extension cord and a wall outlet. Both ran quietly and performed well.
The power cultivator not only breaks the ground to plant a garden, it can be used to keep the garden worked up throughout the growing cycle. Weeding a garden by hand with a hoe can take an entire day, in some cases. Using a power cultivator, the same garden can be weeded in a matter of hours. The tiller keeps the ground loose and soft so that the vegetables can receive all of the water and nutrients that they desire when it rains.
An un-tilled garden can become hard and compacted so that the rain runs off without soaking in at all. By running the power cultivator through the earth and mixing it up, the plants receive a fresh mix of essential minerals and have the ability to grow much larger than plants in a hard soil environment. The rain is also easily soaked in and replenishes the growing plants.
The power cultivator has allowed gardeners and flower lovers to create large, weed-free plots that produce healthy crops with less work. Electric models also allow those green-minded individuals a clean and environmentally friendly method of keeping a garden fresh. With several of the high-end models offering several different attachments, the power cultivator may be the only tool the gardener may ever need.