Tilling Question

Hi Everyone -- Need advice. I have a small 3x3 bed in my fron yard with some old shrubs and a bougainvillea bush. I want to rip out the old bushes and fix the soil, its currently hard and clay. I'd like to plant something to replace the old stuff.

My question is, how close to the base of the bougainvillea trunk can I come with my mantis tiller? I don't want to kill the bougainvillea but need to cultivate the soil for better drainage and for other plants. See the picture attached.

Thanks!
Dave

I would stay at LEAST a foot away, and 18" would be better. This might get about 1/2 of the bed done. Probably only go 1 tine deep, too. Do not double dig it.
While you are digging out the old shrubs see if you can get a feel for where the roots are on the Bougainvillea. They are very sensitive to being transplanted, but I do not know how sensitive they are to root damage when they are established.

You can improve the soil closer to the Bougainvillea by mulching often with fine organic matter such as compost. As it further decomposes earthworms and other soil organisms will bring the organic matter deeper into the soil among the roots.

I'd use a spading fork to loosen the bushes . That is a small area for a Mantis . After lifting them a small bit , try pulling them out or cutting the bushes away from their roots . The roots are going to be mixed with the roots of the Bougainvillea and looks like all hand work to me .

I don't think I'd use a tiller at all that close to a shrub you'd like to keep. That bougainvillea probably has roots every square inch of that bed. Tilling could easily damage them. What Digger said sounds right on for removing the undesired plants.

Forget the tiller, you will end up placing yourself in danger trying to move a tiller around in such a small place, you will end up chipping the concrete (not a good look) maybe cutting cables, (your working close to brick structure. I would take my time to remove as much of the old shrubs by picking and digging around the roots, go easy, you have to try look at the roots as you bring them up to the surface, each plant will have different roots.
try use a spade and your foot, place the spade about a foot from the main trunk, use foot to sink the spade directly down straight down, NOT sloping, work your way around the trunk and then you begin to lift up the root-ball you have formed , lay this onto a bit of plastic or sack IF you want to replant the shrub elsewhere, or directly into your barrow and dump it if not required.

After removing the shrubs, your soil will be very poor / depleted of ANY nutrients so you will need to break up the soil left in the bed, add more soil as well as adding as much HUMUS as you can get hold of, humus being either Horse Manure (well rotted) home made compost or store purchased compost, ass blood/fish/bonemeal to the soil and mix this through ( this mix is slow release and will help feed the whole season..

always make sure the first year, any shrubs / plants are well watered, especially as they will be gaining heat from both ground concrete and brick walls.
Hope this is a little help for you and you can enjoy your new planted area once completed.
Kindest Regards.
WeeNel.