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When to Cultivate?

Author: Leslie Huffman - Weed Management Specialist/OMAFRA
Creation Date: 01 June 2006
Last Reviewed: 01 June 2006



When the weeds have emerged, of course! Before the development of herbicides, the most successful farmers knew when and how to use each type of cultivator. Recent research in Quebec, New York and other areas have rediscovered the best use and timing of various implements of weed destruction.

Research by Marie-Josée Hott, Diane Benoit and Daniel Cloutier in Quebec have shown the optimum use of cultivation in 3 vegetable crops:

Implement
Optimum weed stages*
Optimum Speed
Spring-tine harrow
Sprout -cotyledon
2-7 km/hr
Rigid-tine harrow
Sprout - cotyledon
8 km/hr
Rotary hoe
Sprout - cotyledon
15+ km/hr
Basket weeder
1-2 leaf
2-10 km/hr
Torsion weeder & spyders
3-4 leaf
1-3 km/hr
Danish tine cultivator
4+ leaf
5 km/hr
Rototiller
4+ leaf
1 km/hr

*cultivation will not control weeds well beyond these stages

Their work showed that different cultivators worked better in different crops:

Photo of Danish tine cultivator

Danish tine cultivator

Implement
Carrots
Lettuce
Beans
Spring-tine harrow
(o)
X
Rigid-tine harrow
X
Rotary hoe
X
Basket weeder
(m & o)
X
Torsion weeder & spyders
(m & o)
X
X
Danish tine cultivator
X
Rototiller
(o)
X

m = mineral soils o = organic soils

Photo of a Basket weeder

Basket weeder

Photo of a tine harrow

Tine harrow

Photo of a rotary hoe

Rotary hoe

Each crop has susceptible stages to cultivation:

Crop Comments
Carrots No tolerance of injury in early stages.
Cultivate prior to crop emergence until row closure.
Cultivate up to 20 days after emergence with care.
Basket weeder & torsion weeder performed well with good yields.
Lettuce Leaves are susceptible to damage.
Cultivate before head formation.
Basket, torsion & spyder weeders performed well with good yields.
Beans Flowers & pods are susceptible to damage.
Highly susceptible to damage at first trifoliate leaf stage.
Cultivate until rows close or flowering begins.
Torsion weeder & spyders most effective.
Rotary hoe (cotyledon weeds) followed by Danish tine cultivator between rows also effective.

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