After a busy summer of planting, pruning, weeding, trimming and harvesting, my garden tools are ready for a quiet time indoors. Tools SHOULD be cleaned and put away after every job but sometimes we think we will be right back to finish what we started and our tools may suffer from rain, sun and rust. The basic and minimum job is to clean, sharpen and store garden tools properly. Quality tools can last several generations if care is taken. Cleaning tools means scraping off clinging soil and wiping off residual sap, bug eggs and plant residue. When pruning roses, shrubs or fruit trees, your pruners, loppers and saws should be sanitized moving from one plant to another to avoid spreading disease and fungal spores. This means spray or dip in bleach water or spray with alcohol. I find it easier to use the alcohol as it evaporates quickly and makes it easy to wipe off gummy residue. Shovels, spades, rakes, hoes, trowels and edger tools need to be cleaned after use using a putty knife to scrap off soil and wire brush like a BBQ grill brush to polish the metal. Sharpening your tools is very gratifying. Pruning and weeding with sharp tools makes the job easier, safer and much quicker. You really only need safety goggles and a mill bastard file and a sharpening stone. Clean the the blades and look closely to view the angle of the sharp edge. In a smooth pass, slide the file at the angle of the edge one direction only from one end to the other of the cutting blade. Several passes may be necessary. Then use the fine stone or fine file and sharpen further. The back of the cutting edge only needs the burrs removed with the fine file. Wipe the blade with an oiled rag and test to see if the tool will cut paper. In the case of a spade or hoe or tool with a long handle, you need to clamp or kneel on the handle to keep the tool from moving while you sharpen. The top of the shovel or the edge of the hoe facing the user is the side to sharpen. Edgers cut from both sides so turn over and do both sides of the blade. Wooden handles can be sanded lightly and treated with oil to preserve and protect. One Master Gardener insists the best treatment for the metal is WD-40 as it protects by displacing moisture and stopping rust. When you buy a new tool, they are usually not sharpened unless they come from an upscale source. Choose quality with the metal end of the tool in one piece with a sleeve over the handle, not a prong jammed into the end of the wooden handle. There should be a screw to hold the metal on the handle to allow handle replacement and prevent the blade from twisting. For serious shoveling or digging, a “D” handle is ideal. An alternative to spending serious […]