Before the Season is in Full Swing: Look to Your Tools!

We rely on our gardening tools for all of our gardening projects.
Tools are our helpers, but sometimes they can be our headaches. We hope the following tips will help your tools to be more friend than foe this gardening season.

Quality and Care Matters

In short, buy the best tools that you can afford. They will last for years with good care and maintenance. Your tools require regular care to condition wooden handles, to hold their edges, to be sharp, clean and sterile so they don’t accidentally spread disease. Tools should be occasionally oiled and stored in accessible locations where they can stay dry and rust free. A tool storage rack will “help prevent mutinies in the garden shed” by keeping tools organized, and may keep you safe from accidents. Always wear safety goggles and gloves when cleaning and sharpening tools.

Oiling
Tools need to be lubricated and protected from oxidation to prevent rust. Linseed oil and camellia oil are excellent protectants for metal and wood tools. Coat all wood surfaces with the oil and let it soak in for a few minutes. Give attention to moving parts and inner springs. Wipe away excess oil. The application of oil creates a barrier that reduces metal contact with oxygen and water. A heavier coating of oil on tools not being used in winter protects the metal during storage. Make an “oil sock” to rub metal parts and keep them clean. Stuff a sock with sand or wadded rags. Tie a knot and apply vegetable/canola oil. Store the sock in a zip-lock bag. Vegetable oils work best and are less toxic than the engine oil that’s often recommended.

Removing Large Debris
A “dip bucket” of sand can regularly clean shovels and trowels of clinging dirt. The older versions of a dip bucket with motor oil in the sand is hard to dispose of since it is considered hazardous waste. Linseed oil or mineral oil can be used instead.

Removing Sap
Murphy’s Oil Soap or a multipurpose hand cleaner removes plant sap from tools and is less toxic to use than turpentine which is recommended in older articles.

Disinfecting
To disinfect tools and pruning equipment both during use, and at season's end or beginning: spray or wipe with Lysol ® disinfectant. The active ingredients in Lysol® are less corrosive to metal than a bleach solution and easier on your garden clothes as well. There are other brands as well. Here's a link that discusses "The Myth of Cloroxed Clippers" and recommendations for the preferred disinfectant.

Let's keep our tools happy!

Spring Greenhouse Prep

How did you close down your greenhouse last fall? Perhaps you are like most gardeners and left it in a bit of disarray from the scramble of fall garden cleanup that we all experience. It's okay, we have a few tips to help you get your greenhouse ready for spring!

First, we recommend removing everything from your greenhouse (overwintered plants, removable shelving, pots, trays, tools, floor mats, etc.) These items will be sanitized in another area. Do this in an open area with a breeze and sunshine, if possible.

1. Start at the top of the greenhouse 
   Starting at the back and at the top of your greenhouse, working your way down and forward, will ensure you get every area in the greenhouse cleaned. Don’t forget to use a variety of brushes to clean the nooks and crannies where the panels connect to the frame, hinges on windows and doors, around vents, etc. Sweep the walls, clean the floor (soil or concrete) of all organic matter and weeds. 
   
   
   
   
2. Flooring
   Floors, which can be made of many substrates, must be cleaned accordingly. There are concrete floors that can be scrubbed with a bleach solution. If the floor is dirt or rock, there will be weed maintenance as well as pest and pathogen procedures for the spring cleaning. Pull and discard any weeds that have sprung up to keep the potential pests and pathogens at bay. Whatever weed barrier you choose should be removed and replaced annually as well.
   
   
3. Select cleaning agents and equipment 
   There are many choices when selecting cleaning equipment and agents: pressure washers with soap and water, Strip-it, etc. Be sure to read labels, talk to your garden center expert or a greenhouse supplier to help you decide. Rubbing alcohol can be used on knives and pruners. Although it is not recommended for the structure itself, household chlorine bleach is probably the least expensive and the easiest to obtain for a general disinfectant. Its half life is short; therefore, it should be mixed fresh, and items should be soaked for 30 minutes to be a thorough sanitizing. It Is used in a solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. 
   
   
4. 
   Allow time to dry
   All items, including the structure, should be allowed to dry out completely by opening windows and leaving on fans before re-furnishing the greenhouse.

It is important that we keep our greenhouses clean to avoid pitfalls during the growing season.  

Have an amazing growing season!

Asparagus – The Jewel of Spring

For those who enjoy asparagus, it may be the most anticipated spring vegetable to show up in the garden. This perennial plant has been a delicacy since Roman times and any home gardener can grow and enjoy this vegetable with some careful planning and preparation. 

Asparagus is a perennial that will produce for 10-15 years if it is planted and managed properly. Start by finding the perfect spot in your garden. Asparagus will need a permanent home with a sunny location and well-drained soil. It grows best in medium textured soils with a soil pH between 6.5-7.0.

Asparagus can be grown from seeds but most home gardeners choose to plant asparagus crowns purchased from seed catalogs or from local nurseries. When purchasing, review the varieties available. Hybrid varieties are mostly all-male plants with the open pollinated varieties containing male and female plants. The male varieties produce no seeds so all their energy goes into spear production which generates a higher yield of larger spears. The female varieties put their energy into seed production which generates a lower yield of smaller spears.

Your soil type will dictate the depth of your trench – medium textured soils dig a trench 8-10 inches deep; in heavy clay soils reduce trench to 6 inches and sandy soils increase trench to 12 inches. Place the crowns "head-to-toe" (bud-to-root tip) in a line down the trench, so the buds of the crowns are spaced above 12 inches apart and cover with 2-3 inches of soil. Rows of asparagus should be spaced at least 4 feet apart. Another method of planting is to place the crown in the trench on top of a small mound of soil, spread the roots out around the crown (“octopus” formation) then cover 2-3 inches with soil. Click here for growing guide.

As tempting as it may be, do not harvest asparagus spears the first spring after planting. Lightly harvest during the second spring then harvest normally in subsequent years.
At the end of the harvest, start getting your asparagus ready for next year. Continue to water regularly, control the weeds, and fertilize. Allow your last spears to go to ferns. When the ferns die down in the fall, mow them and leave them for mulch. 

Always be on the look-out for pests and diseases that can damage your asparagus.

The Asparagus Aphid, Asparagus beetle and the beetle larvae feed on leaves and above ground plant parts. The Cutworms, asparagus miner, and grasshoppers feed on the lower stem close to the ground and/or the roots. 

There are also a variety of diseases, such as Purple Spot, Rust, Fusarium Crown, Root and Lower Stem Rot and Phytophthora Crown, Root/Spear Rot which can affect the asparagus above and below the ground.

Your planning, maintenance and patience will be rewarded with numerous harvests of tender, green asparagus spears to enjoy every spring for years to come!