All About Gardening

For most people, fall signals the end of the gardening season. It’s time to put your gardening and yard tools away until next year. Here are a few tips to make sure that your tools stay in prime condition until it’s time to use them again.
Gardening and yard tools can cost a lot of money. By making sure that your tools are properly winterized, you can ensure that they will last year after year and save you from having to continually purchase new ones. Winterizing your gardening and yard tools is actually quite simple, and takes very little time.
All yard tools, whether hand operated or mechanical, should be thoroughly cleaned from all dirt and debris. If necessary, soak tools in water to remove caked on dirt. (This of course does not apply for tools that can be harmed by excess water.) Use a sponge, rag or wire brush to make sure all dirt and debris is removed. After cleaning, make sure your tools are dried throughly.
If any of your tools show signs of rust, now is the best time to try and stop the rust from spreading. Using fine graded sand paper or steel wool, sand off any rough and rusty spots that are on your tools. Once sanded, you can coat the metal with vegetable oil (this is a great way to recycle used cooking oil) or even used motor oil. Another great way to stop the rust from spreading is to prime and paint the metal with a rust resistant spray paint, such as Rust-Oleum.
Small tools such as hand trowels or hand spades can be stored in a bucket of sand that has been soaked in oil, such as vegetable oil or used motor oil. This is an excellent way to protect your tools from harsh winter weather and also works well in high humidity areas year round.
If your yard and garden tools have wooden handles, a great way to winterize them and keep them from cracking and splitting is to rub them down with linseed oil or a paste wax. This will help to keep the elements from wreaking havoc on your wooden handled tools throughout the winter.
Unless you will be using your garden hoses throughout the winter, now is the time to properly store them and help lengthen their life. Make sure that the hoses are properly drained and coiled, ensuring that there are no kinks in the hose. This will help keep your hoses from dry rotting and splitting. Now is also the ideal time to patch and repair any leaks your hose may have. Be sure and check the gaskets for signs of dry rot as well, and replace if necessary.
In most areas, winter means no more cutting grass. While many are happy to have a break from this bothersome chore, before you bid farewell to your lawn mower for a few months, make sure that it is properly winterized. Thoroughly clean the lawn mower, as any residue left behind can cause rust spots. Make sure that the gas tank is completely drained. This is also the perfect time to have lawn mower blades sharpened and ready for the next mowing season.
With just a little bit of time and effort, you can easily ensure that your yard and garden tools will survive whatever winter throws at them. By properly winterizing your yard and garden tools, you can save a great deal of money, and have more money to spend on plants the following year!

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