ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 8, 1996 TAG: 9602080018
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Hoein' & Growin'
SOURCE: SARA THORNE-THOMSEN
Garden tools may be hibernating behind the snow shovels and bags of ice in your shed, but it won't be long before you give them a spring wake-up call. While you dream of sunny days and spring thaws, you can get your tools ready for work.
Take your tools out and examine them for wear and tear. Because tools play such an important part in garden maintenance, as well as in the pleasure of the gardener, it is important that they be kept in tip-top shape. Tools should not be exposed to the weather. Rain-roughened wooden handles of garden forks and shovels are unpleasant to use, even if you wear protective gloves. Rust on metal blades causes resistance when you are digging or spading, not to mention that it isn't very attractive.
Even if you take good care of your tools during the gardening season, they will still benefit from a good washing and oiling. For this task, you will need newspapers or a drop cloth, dish detergent, scouring pads, a couple of old towels, some clean rags, a spray can of tool oil (available at hardware stores, automotive centers and some supermarkets), a quart of ordinary motor oil (fresh or used from your car), linseed or other wood oil (from hardware stores), a five-gallon bucket, and builder's (coarse) sand, (optional but handy). You may also need screwdrivers and wrenches to make repairs and a file to eliminate nicks and sharpen edges. All cutting tools, as well as shovels and spades, need regular sharpening to keep their edges in good working order.
Once you have assembled the cleaning materials, probably the easiest approach is to gather all your tools in one place, where it is warm enough for you to work and the tools to dry properly. At this time of year, you will probably want to use the garage or basement, though on a warm sunny day, outdoors would be ideal. To protect the tools from abrasive concrete floors or wet ground, and the floors and ground from spilled cleaning materials, place the tools on newspapers or a drop cloth.
Knock or scrape off any plant debris still clinging to the tools. Next, fill the bucket with soapy water and drop in your small hand tools: trowels, small forks, dibbles (pointed finger-like tools used to poke holes in the earth for seedlings), bulb planters, snips, and pruning shears. Swirl the tools in the water for a few minutes, but don't soak them. Most garden tools don't react well to being exposed to water for a long period of time. Use the scouring pad to remove any persistent stains or debris. Rinse the tools and set them on towels or newspaper to dry.
Now you're ready to tackle the larger tools. Wash and rinse shovels, spades, forks, loppers, shears, axes, picks, hoes, and rakes. As you clean these larger implements, vigorously jiggle the tool heads against their handles to make sure the fit is tight and the handles are not splitting. Use a screwdriver and wrench to tighten loose handles. Replacing handles can be tricky: Hardware stores where replacement handles are sold can usually suggest someone who does repairs.
Aluminum and plastic tools can be stored after they are cleaned, but steel and wood-handled tools need oiling to protect them from rust and keep them in good condition. When the tools are dry, use the rags to rub linseed oil into the wooden handles and motor oil onto the steel surfaces. Apply the spray oil to joints or small areas, such as the mechanisms of loppers and pruners, that cannot be reached with a rag.
After you wipe off the excess oil, your tools are ready for sharpening with the file. If you choose not to file, you can plunge the tool blades into a bucket of sand mixed with a little motor oil and thrust them vigorously up and down. This results is a honed and sparkling blade. File off any nicks and bent metal around the edges.
If your pruners need sharpening (and they probably do), you might have the job done professionally. Another option would be to follow a step-by-step guide (with drawings) in the January, 1996 issue of "Horticulture Magazine," on cleaning and sharpening pruners.
After you have restored your tools, hang the larger ones on a wall. A box or drawer will keep the hand tools together. You'll be needing them soon to begin your seed-starting operation.
Now may be a good time to replace worn or damaged tools with better-quality ones that, if properly cared for, will give you years of service and pleasure. Some sources of fine tools are: Smith & Hawken, Two Arbor Lane, P.O. Box 6900, Florence, Ky. 41022-6900, (800) 776-3336; A. M. Leonard Inc., P.O. Box 816, Piqua, Ohio, (800) 543-8955; Walter F. Nicke, P.O. Box 433, Topsfield, Mass., 01983, (508) 887-3388; Gardeners' Supply Co., 128 Intervale Road, Burlington, Vt. 05401-2850, (800) 863-1700. All have free catalogs.
It is easiest to do maintenance on your tools when you are not using them regularly, but it is a good idea to rinse off your tools after a day in the garden and dip the blades in the sand-motor oil mixture to keep them cleaned and honed. Keep the blades of your pruners clean by dipping them in a solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water. Remember that clean tools help prevent the spread of diseases in your garden.
Sara Thorne-Thomsen is a master gardener.
LENGTH: Medium: 91 linesby CNB