If you’re a gardener, you know how expensive tools can be. If you leave them caked with dirt at the end of the summer you may have to replace them the next season. Proper care and maintenance at the end of summer can save money and help you start gardening sooner the next year. Follow these tips to keep your tools in working order for next year’s gardening season.
Digging tools like shovels, hoes, and hand trowels should be free of dirt each time you use them, but at least prior to retiring them for the winter. Wash them with water, but dry them thoroughly. If they’re dull, sharpen your tools before storing them. Keeping your tools sharp will enable you to use them at the start of the season rather than having to prepare them for use next year. Clean off as much rust as you possibly can with a wire brush. Follow the wire brush cleaning by wiping the tools with penetrating oil.
Cutting tools such as pruners and loppers should be cleaned each time you finish using them. Cleaning them each time will keep them from becoming gummy from tree sap. To thoroughly clean the sap from the blades, use steel wool to remove the residue. Make sure the blades stay dry and follow up with a thin coat of mineral oil. By applying silicone-based oil to the blades you will prevent rust from forming. Sharpen these tools as needed, but at least once a year.
Many tools have wooden handles. Check the handles regularly to be sure the wood isn’t split. Split handles should be replaced. Generously oil the wooden handles with boiled linseed oil, allowing it to soak into the wood prior to wiping of the excess. You may also paint the handles to protect the wood. If you choose to paint the handles, clean off all of the old paint first, making sure that the wood is dry prior to painting them. Use a fine sandpaper to smooth the wood and then apply two coats of an oil-based paint.
The most expensive tools you have for your garden are most likely the tiller and lawn mower. Prepare for the coming gardening season by draining the gas from the engines after the season’s last use. Remove the spark plugs and spray a bit of WD-40 into the plug hole before replacing the spark plug. These two maintenance activities will enable your tiller and mower start easier in the spring.
Garden hoses should be thoroughly drained when used for the last time. In order to keep them from in even better shape and ready to use next year, roll them up and store them out of the weather in a shed or garage.
By taking the time at season’s end to properly care for your garden and lawn tools, you extend the life of the tool and shorten the amount of time it takes to begin your gardening activities again next spring. These tips, while not exhaustive, are a good place to start in order to care for your tools before winter arrives.
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