Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Putting the tools away
One of the last tasks of the gardening season is tool attention. Every year I swear I’m going to be better at it NOT losing my tools. 2022 isn’t much different, except that my Hori Hori knife I guard with my life! Have I told you I LOVE that tool?
My bench under the eve of my garage gets filled with tools, which is better than leaving them around the yard!
Do YOU clean your tools every time? I admit I don’t, but I AM better. If you wander from task to task, you might consider putting neon tape on your tools so you can spot them when you get distracted.
I don’t know how I managed it, but I lost my favorite trowel a couple of years ago, I bought another and then, THIS year, I found my favorite! It was in a different storage container in the garage!
Once you’ve collected your equipment, hose off any chunks of dirt. Clay is a particular bear, you may need to use a heavy bristled brush. Once the initial dirt is cleaned up, it’s time to take some steel wool to the rusty parts. If the rust has really taken over, use a steel brush first. For pruners, axes and knives that may have some sap on them, you can use a little paint thinner on a cotton cloth to clean up the gummy stuff. I’ve been using alcohol to clean my pruners. Be sure to wipe all your tools dry. Then apply a coat of oil. I use vegetable based oil. You can use linseed or tung oil, or even a little motor oil if you care to.
I plunge my garden fork and favorite shovel in a bucket of sand and vegetable oil. The abrasive quality of the sand helps further cleaning and the oil leaves a light coat on the tools.
Here’s more information.