Gardening Sweet Spots
By Donna Hessel
It’s nearly the end of this year’s gardening season and most of your end-of-season clean-up chores are complete. Stashing garden tools for winter is at the bottom of the list, and most gardeners are ready call it quits until spring. But before you store your tools, take a good look at them. They probably could use some TLC now so they will be in good working order next spring. There are three basic steps to end-of-season tool care: cleaning, sharpening and lubricating if the tool has working parts.
Cleaning is essential. Give all tools a good scrape with a wire brush or putty knife to get rid of caked-on soil. Steel wool or a Brillo pad will help to remove plant residue and spots of rust. Soak heavily rusted tools in white vinegar overnight, then use soap and water to finish the clean up. Scrubbing Bubbles works well. Dry them thoroughly and apply oil (cooking oil works fine) on tool pivot points. Spray with WD-40 to coat the blades to protect them over winter.
Sharp blades on pruners and loppers make pruning so much easier on your hands, and a clean cut heals better on the plant and minimizes the risk of infection or disease. Files or whetstones work best to sharpen the bevel edge on these tools. Use a diamond file, following the exact angle of the existing bevel, usually 45 degrees. Run the file away from you from the base to the pointed tip several times. When the tool’s edge is brighter than the rest of the pruner’s surface, you have a good, sharp edge. Any burrs can be removed with steel wool.
Check wooden handles on tools for snags or splinters and sand them to remove those. Coat handles with linseed oil or polyurethane to protect them. Store your tools in a dry, safe place. Unless you are experienced, leave sharpening mower blades and other power cutters to the pros. But be sure to schedule sharpening early in March to avoid the spring rush when shops get very busy. Drain all hoses, coil and hang on a reel or store in a clean, dry location.
Now you can breathe that sigh of relief and know that next spring, when you’re ready to get out to the garden, your tools will be ready, too.
Sources: Summit County Master Gardeners – The Root of It newsletter – October 14, 2021 and
Garden Gate Newsletter
Photo courtesy pexels.com
