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Keeping your gardening hand tools in tiptop condition

By JANETTA FOX - Garden Club of Cape Coral | May 13, 2021

With other things often on our minds, it can be mighty easy to put the proper care of garden tools on the back burner thinking, perhaps, that what we don’t clean and maintain today can easily wait until tomorrow, or the day after, or next month. The unfortunate consequence of this tendency toward procrastination can be rust build-up, dull blades, build-up of sap residue, spread of plant diseases and the list goes on. There are a number of websites that provide step-by-step maintenance directions. While leaving details up to the experts, following are some general tips that can help lengthen the useful lifespan of your gardening tools.

For basic cleaning, physically remove soil and other residue. After each use, a simple spray of water or washing with soap and water and a good scrub brush will oftentimes be sufficient, but make certain to rinse and dry the tool thoroughly after cleaning. For sap or rust build up, and while wearing gloves, try some steel wool or wire brush on problem areas. Once the sap or rust has been removed, you can apply WD40 or other lubricant, wiping off excess as a finishing touch.

To sanitize tools, you probably already have some products at home that will easily do the trick. Two such items are chlorine bleach and isopropyl alcohol. Using bleach is perfectly fine as long as you use it in the right proportion to water, i.e., a 10% solution or 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. It is not enough to just wipe down the tool with the solution; rather, use the liquid immediately and give the tool a good soak for 15-30 minutes, drying it thoroughly in the aftermath. Moisture left on garden implements serves as an invitation to rust. As a reminder, work in a well-ventilated area and always wear gloves when dealing with any type of harsh solvents.

If bleach isn’t your thing, you can go a different route and spend less time in the process by using isopropyl alcohol. Wiping down the tool with a cloth dipped in a minimum 70% strength isopropyl alcohol will suffice. No soaking is necessary.

Keeping your hand tools sharpened, e.g., those all-important pruners, will ensure clean cuts are made when trimming branches. There are a variety of sharpening devices you can use, e.g., a file or sharpening stone. Depending on the tool, you may wish to remove some components to have better access to the blades. While wearing protective eyewear and gloves, sharpen each side of the blade in an upward movement toward the blade.

Last though certainly not least, we come to the proper storage of tools. I can speak from experience that forgetting where you last used a tool and then finding it a month later in the garden is not the proper way to store an implement. Additionally, although you use your garden tools outdoors, avoid intentionally storing them outdoors. Keeping them in a dry location, ie., in an area not exposed to excess humidity, moisture or the elements, is the way to go.

Janetta Fox is a Lee County Master Gardener volunteer and member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral.

Sources:

Vanheems, B. How to care for and sharpen gardening tools. (Dec 31 2015). GrowVeg. Retrieved from https://www.growveg.com/guides/how-to-care-for-and-sharpen-gardening-tools

Disinfecting your garden tools. (n.d.). UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions. Retrieved from https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/tools-and-equipment/disinfecting-tools.html