Take care of garden tools to save your money for plants
Winter came early and with an enthusiasm seldom seen in November. It left many gardeners, including me, with garden chores undone.
Cleaning garden tools is one task that is especially important to find time for to make sure they will be ready when green thumbs are itching in spring.
If hoses weren't drained before they were frozen solid, disconnect them from the water source and remove the nozzle. Wait for a sunny day and lay them on the driveway. After the ice melts and the water drains, loosely coil them around a hose reel before storing them in the garage or garden shed.
Sprayers, including the nozzles, should be thoroughly rinsed with water. Triple-rinse sprayers used for spraying pesticides. Write the name of the chemical on the sprayer, so it is not accidentally used for a different purpose next season. Even trace amounts of chemicals can cause damage to plants. Store sprayers upside down so they drain and dry completely.
Remove dried-on dirt from all garden tools. Use a wire brush if needed. A kitchen scrub pad, soapy water and some elbow grease is usually all that is needed to finish cleaning them. If rust is developing, use steel wool or sandpaper to remove it.
If the edges of any tools are getting dull, use a hand file to sharpen them. Finish by lightly spraying them with oil or plunging them up and down in a bucket of sand mixed with a cup of oil.
Then check out their wood handles. A quick rub with sandpaper quickly rids them of slivers. A couple coats of linseed oil condition the wood.
A good pair of pruners is indispensable to gardeners. These should be cleaned and sharpened before putting them to bed for the winter. After they are clean, and with the blades pointing away from you, rub a file or sharpening stone along the edge of the blade until they are sharp. Wipe down all the metal parts with oil to prevent rust before storing them - with the blades open - for the winter. If you are afraid of sharpening your pruners, check with your local garden center. They may sharpen them for a small fee.
If you are like me, you were planning on mowing the lawn one more time before winter blew in, so the lawn mower still needs a good cleaning to remove glass clippings from underneath. Drain the gas tank or add fuel stabilizer. Motivated do-it-yourselfers change the oil, replace the spark plug and sharpen the blades. Less ambitious types, like me, call the professionals. Many offer special prices in the winter.
Sort through garden gloves. Most can be thrown in the washing machine. Discard pairs that have holes or show significant wear.
Even though winter cut our time for garden cleanup short this year, take some time to care for your garden tools. It extends their usefulness, so next year's budget for gardening can be spent on plants instead of replacement tools.
• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist, garden writer and speaker. She blogs at gardenwithdiana.com.