How to care for your garden tools as you put them up for winter
Here's a timely little story with a moral: a recent garden work party ended in frustration when one by one, every tool taken from the shed was broken, too dull to cut properly, or out of gas. Sound familiar?
In this case, the home handy person had sadly passed away, but it's a very common scenario even when the property owner is doing fine. The obvious solution is to repair or get rid of everything that isn't functional and start again. However, if nobody is able or willing to keep tools in tiptop shape, the wisest solution is to hire a crew. Good garden crews always keep their tools in excellent condition, blades sharp and engines ready to run. For them, using tools is their livelihood, not a once-in-awhile weekend warrior experience. When you balance the cost of their service with the ongoing costs of repairing and replacing tools, hiring help is often a better choice.
Even if you only use manual tools, as I do, regular maintenance is highly recommended, as dirty tools don't remain in good shape very long. A little organization can make tool care quick and easy: For starters, mix about a cup of clean vegetable oil into a big bucket of sand. After using hand tools, scrape them off, then plunge them a few times into the sand. This removes any remaining dirt, scours away incipient rust, and adds a light, protective oil coating to metal blades and fork tines. This takes about a minute per tool and ensures they won't get rusty over the long, wet winter.
To renew the sharp edge on shovels, rest the blade on a fence or post, facing away from you. With a metal file, work with gently curving strokes, moving down and away from the upper blade towards the edge. The bevel of each blade should be straight and smooth. If you've been shoveling rocks, your shovel blade may be full of nicks and ragged edges so even these out gently with the file, always working away from yourself. It only takes a few minutes to put a sharp edge on a shovel blade and it's worth doing at least a few times a year. Prepare to be amazed at how much easier they are to use!
Wooden handles dry out when put away wet and dirty. To keep them in (or restore them to) good condition, wipe them down with linseed oil and an old dishcloth. If wooden handles are rough and cracking, sand them lightly, first with medium-, then fine-textured sandpaper. Oil them lavishly, let them
stand for about an hour, then wipe off excess oil with a dry, clean cloth. Hang up clean hand tools or store them in a container (not on the floor). Hang long handled tools on racks, with sharp blades pointed towards the wall. This is important when children help with garden care (though mature adults quite regularly bash themselves with sharp tools left pointy-side out as well as by stepping on comb rakes left on the floor tine-side out).
Drain and coil hoses and store them under cover, flat on the floor rather than hanging (which weakens the material and can cause kinks later). Lift soaker hoses, shake them clean and store them under cover or at least out of direct light. Whether in storage or in the garden, always keep the cap on the far end of a soaker hose, as they don’t work properly without it (and slugs love to move into moist tubes!). Onward, right?
Contact Ann Lovejoy at 413 Madrona Way NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 or visit Ann’s blog at http://www.loghouseplants.com/blogs/greengardening/ and leave a question/comment.