Its time to put the gardening tools away and bring out the snow shovel, but before you do that, its a good idea to clean up and maintain the tools before they are put away. This way you extend the life of the garden tools and they will be ready to go next spring.

 

The first thing you want to do is clean off all the dirt/soil from the metal parts of the tool because soil contains oxidizers which can corrode the metal.

 

Dirt can be removed by using a wire brush such as a grill brush, a scraper, a bucket of warm water mixed with 15 ml of dish detergent, or by filling a large bucket with sand mixed with a small amount of recycled oil so that the sand is moist and then put the metal part of the tool in the oil moistened sand and move it around so that the sand removes the soil and the oil coats the metal. It is important to apply oil to all metal parts to prevent rust. It is also a good idea to lubricate any springs or other pivot points, such as those on pruning equipment.

 

When you are cleaning the tools it is a good time to look them over and tighten any loose screws or nuts, and fix or replace any bent or broken parts. This is also a good time to sharpen the edges of spades, shovels, hoes, and digging forks.

 

On spades, shovel, and forks the 20-30 degree bevel is on the inside edge of the tool and on hoes it is on the outside edge.

 

Pruning tools should be sharpened also, by using one continuous stroke to the outer edge of the cutting edge so that the bevel is kept uniform.

 

Winter weather can cause wooden handles to dry out causing them to crack and splinter. To help prevent this they should be rubbed with linseed oil after being washed, and lightly sanded.

 

After tools have been cleaned and maintained they can be hung up in a dry place.

 

Garden hoses need to be drained of all water and then loosely coiled or put on a hose reel so that there is no kinks or sags. Sprinklers should also be completely drained and then stored in a dry place, as well as sprayers.

 

Before putting the sprayer away wash it, and rinse it making sure that all traces of any pesticide or herbicide is gone. Lubricate any moving parts and then hang it upside down so that any moisture can drip out. It is important that these are dry because when water freezes it expands and can cause damage.

 

Equipment such as wheelbarrows, lawnmowers, tillers, etc should be cleaned, and maintained before being put away. Remove all dirt, plant debris, and built up grease and make any necessary repairs such as tightening nuts and bolts, and lubricating wheels, and other moving parts according to the manufacturers recommendations.

 

If you have metal equipment that has been chipped, or scratched, the exposed area should be touched up with paint to avoid any future rust. Power equipment that is run by gasoline or gas/oil mixture should have the gasoline or gasoline/oil drained from the machine. Follow any manufacturer instructions on how to look after the equipment so that they will last you for many years with no problems.

 

By putting the time in now and looking after all the gardening tools, and equipment before they are put in storage you will be ready to go next spring!