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!