How to Care for Your Tools
By Jackie Sledge
Big Country Master Gardener Association
Several weeks ago, I shared information about the tools that every gardener needs and why we need them. We can’t just purchase tools and use them without giving them some care because properly maintained tools will ensure that garden tasks are completed with accuracy and precision. We know that tools need to be sharp, but they also need to be clean and sterile to prevent the spreading of diseases or viruses from plant to plant. Let’s look at what we need to do to keep our tools in good shape and ready to be used for whatever gardening issue comes up.
Cleaning Garden Tools:
Make a habit of cleaning tools after each use.
- Wash the tools to remove the dirt. If the dirt has hardened on the tool, use a stiff brush to remove the dirt and then wash the tool. Scrub sap off a tool immediately to prevent sticky residue that will prevent the tool from functioning properly.
- Check for rust and remove it with a stiff brush or steel wool.
- Soak tools in a bucket of water after dirt, sap, and rust have been removed. Add some dish soap for extra cleaning.
- Rinse tools with clean water and dry them immediately. Never put tools away while they are wet, or you will be dealing with rust issues.
- Disinfect tools with a bleach or vinegar solution if you use them on diseased plants; this will prevent spreading fungus or bacteria to other plants or weeds in other areas of the landscape.
Cleaning tip: I keep a stack of rags handy to help with cleaning. This is a great use for old T-shirts, towels, and holey socks!
Oiling Garden Tools:
Any tool with a moving part needs to be oiled, especially hard-working pruners that are prone to rust and sap residue.
- Be sure the tool is clean and dry.
- Apply a few drops of oil to the pivot joints and blades and wipe off the excess oil with a rag or towel.
Oiling tip: Fill a bucket with clean sand and stir in enough oil to lightly dampen it but not make an oily mess. After using tools, brush off the dirt and stick the blades or tines down into the sand. The sand keeps the blades sharp, and the oil prevents rust.
Sharpening Garden Tools:
It is much easier to garden with sharp tools, and the result is better – for you and for the plants!
- Use a small tool sharpener to keep pruners and other hand tools in good shape.
- Use a file, whetstone, knife sharpener, or large sharpener on the cutting edges of hoes, shovels, and other large garden tools.
- There are businesses that will sharpen tools, especially large garden tools such as lawn mowers.
Sharpening tip: If you sharpen tools regularly, it will only take a few passes of the sharpener to keep the tools in tip top shape.
Storing Garden Tools:
It is better to store tools properly even if you know you will be using them the next day.
- Store tools inside a shed, garage, or barn and up off the floor. Rain, snow, and exposure from the sun will age tools fast.
- Tools can be hung on pegboards or hooks to protect metal edges and surfaces. Be sure tools are separated so they do not touch.
- Keep the tools you use frequently within arm’s reach.
- Always clean tools before putting them up.
Storing tip: Remember the bucket with oil? A great way to store tools, especially small tools, is to keep them in a bucket of sand moistened with oil.
Maintaining Garden Tools with Wooden Handles:
Wooden handles require attention to keep them in good shape.
- Periodically inspect the handles of loppers, spades, forks, and other garden tools for splintering.
- Sand wooden handles to remove splinters and smooth the wood.
- Use a clean rag to apply finishing oil such as tung oil or boiled linseed oil. Let it soak in for a few minutes and reapply until the wood no longer absorbs the oil. Wipe off excess oil before storing the tool.
Miscellaneous Tips:
- Tools with green or brown handles are easier to misplace. To lessen losing tools in the grass or beds, purchase tools with bright-colored handles, wrap handles with bright-colored tape, or tie bright flagging tape to them.
- If you are carrying several tools around the garden, use a tool apron, tote, or bucket to keep all tools together.
- Soaker hoses can get clogged with soil and minerals. Clean soaker hoses by soaking them in a vinegar solution or by removing the end caps and flush the hoses with running water.
- Coiling a water hose or using a hose pot or reel will prolong the life of a hose.
- Drain a watering can after each use. Tipping it over allows it to dry out completely.
Tool maintenance doesn’t have to be drudgery. If you take a few minutes to care for your tools after every use or every couple of uses, you won’t have to spend lots of time and energy on them at the end of the gardening season. I read an article several years ago that stressed the importance of enjoying gardening. We need to have gardens the right size and the tools we need in good shape, so we are “tending” our gardens and not “toiling” in them. I’m working on my tools right now so they will be ready for spring gardening, and I plan to “tend” to my landscape this year.
BCMGA offers several education programs each month. There is a program at 6:00 p.m. on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the South Library Branch in the Mall of Abilene, and the same program is offered again at 10:00 a.m. on the 2nd Friday of the month at the Downtown Library. There is a Saturday Seminar on the last Saturday of the month at 9:00 a.m. at the Taylor County Extension Office Conference Room. Watch the BCMGA website and Facebook page for the
topics and dates of these monthly programs.
If you have any questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at 325-672-6048 or email us at mgardeners@yahoo.com. We hope you visit bcmgtx.org for information on all Big Country Master Gardener events, like us on BCMGA Facebook, and check out training presentations on BCMGA YouTube. We are here to help you.
