Is Rototilling Good or Bad?

The truth is, rototilling does more harm than good to your garden. During a growing season, garden soil creates an intricate web of organisms that support each other as well as your plants. This soil food web, a sort of biosphere beneath your feet, is destroyed or severely damaged by the rototiller.

Is Rototilling necessary?

Why do I want to rototill? If this is the first year for your garden, rototilling is a good idea for loosening up the soil and getting it ready for planting. If your garden's soil has good tilth from last year and you don't need to add amendments, don't rototill this year.

Does tilling hurt the soil?

The effect of tillage on soil

However, tillage has all along been contributing negatively to soil quality. Since tillage fractures the soil, it disrupts soil structure, accelerating surface runoff and soil erosion. Tillage also reduces crop residue, which help cushion the force of pounding raindrops.