Spring Cleaning: Getting Your Garden Tools Ready for Summer

With spring being sprung, I’d been itching to get my hands back into the dirt and get planting. Like any good gardening enthusiast, I get the pangs to plant, dig, toil & till the earth way before it’s seasonally time. Usually the urge strikes me as the last weeks of the dreary winter weather starts to come to a close. During that time I plot and plan like a what I want to plant for next season. My mind kicks into overdrive as the spring seed & garden catalogs start to arrive. As I pour over the information, I envision lush, abundant vegetable & flower gardens that I will produce this year.

But before I can play in the dirt there is important ‘spring cleaning’ that needs to be tackled first. I know, I know, chores before play. Ugh. I meant to clean, scrub & sharpen my gardening tools last fall. But if you’re like me, then came Thanksgiving, gift shopping, the holidays. First, I resolve to take better care of my gardening tools this year. But for now, I am dedicating a week-end afternoon to get my garden gear ready & back into action.

Cleaning Gardening Tools 101

>> In a perfect world, all gardening tools should be cleaned after each use. Here are some key cleaning tips to keeping your tools in tip-top shape.

• Hose off (maximum pressure) all your shovels, rakes, hoes, trowels, and any other tool that comes into contact with soil after each use & dry it with a cotton rag. This prevents diseases, fungi, insect eggs & weed seeds from being unwittingly spread around the garden.

• Tools with sharpened edges such as pruning shears, axes, and knives should have the blades wiped down with a thick cotton rag to remove any gums & saps. For dried on residue, use a little paint thinner before wiping. Dry the tool with a clean rag.

• All steel tool heads are still susceptible to rust (even high grade steel tools) when exposed to air. So to keep the rusting to a minimum, you can apply vegetable oil to the steel surface to help insulate it from oxidizing. Wipe oil onto the steel area with a clean cotton rag.

• Rusty tools that need attention can be cleaned with a sheet of 80-grit sandpaper and some elbow grease. Using a stiff wire brush also does the trick. For heavily pitted steel surfaces save your self some time and use an electric drill with a wire brush attachment.

• To make a long lasting tool cleaner you can pour a one bottle of motor oil into a large plastic container filled with sand. Stir the oil and sand well until the oil is absorbed. Place any tool you want cleaned into mixture. Wipe off excess. This also helps to prevent rust.

Sharpen those tools!

>> Sharpening tools involves a little more time than cleaning, but it is an all important factor to keep your tools performing like they should and to keep them from getting too dull.

• Tools like shovels, axes, hoes, and trowels are best sharpened with a hand file. A basic 8 inch long mill file does the job. For best results, hold the tool steady in a clamp or vise and with the file held at an angle, work by drawing the cutting teeth in one direction over the edge being sharpened.

• For pruning shears and knives it is best to sharpen with an oil stone. When sharpening a blade on a stone, simply slide the blade over the flat surface of the stone in one direction until you reach the desired sharpness.

Tool Storage

>> Each tool should have it own place in which to store it. It’s important to store your clean, oiled & sharpened tools properly. Organize your tools according to frequency used & after you are done return to its dedicated place which will help save you time searching when it’s time to dig in the dirt again.

· Drill ¼ inch holes in the handles of shovels, rakes, hoes, and other long-handled tools so they can be easily hung from nails affixed to the walls of a garage or storage shed. This prevents damage to sharpened edges.

· Spray rubber coating (also available in a dip) onto tool handles to protect and prevent splinters or wear and tear.

Well there you have it, enough gardening tool care tips to keep you busy for an afternoon.

You’ll thank me later when you begin to reap the benefits of a healthy, weed free garden.

Go play in the dirt & don’t forget to wear sunscreen!