Caring for Gardening Tools
Looking After Your Investment
If you have paid good money to buy quality tools or if you have inherited them from someone else, you want them to give good service in the garden for as long as possible.
When it comes to looking after hand tools, the basic tasks are:
Keep tools clean
Clean tools every time you use them, otherwise you will find it much more difficult to remove soil, sap, grass and the like when it has dried and hardened.
Tools that are neglected are also prone to rust (unless of course you have been able to purchase stainless steel items). This will make them more difficult to use and shorten their life.
Keeping rust at bay is a constant battle and the cheapest option is to wipe the blades over with an oily rag. This can be second hand oil as long as you use suitable hand protection.
A useful trick used by many gardeners to keep their spades and forks clean is to have a box full of oil soaked sand. Plunging the spade into the sand both cleans and oils in a single action.
Keep tools sharp
Anything used for cutting needs to be kept sharp, using a file or small carborundum stone.
It is a good idea to check your tools frequently to see if they need sharpening. They will reward you by producing a neater finish with much less effort.
Eventually, some blades will require some serious work to restore a correct cutting edge. This might be the time to replace them or take them to a professional who has the correct equipment and experience to do the job properly.
Keep tools safe and tidy
Gardening tools that are left lying around can be a major safety hazard (see Safety in the Garden). Apart from people and animals getting hurt, the tools themselves are likely to suffer.
Ideally you should have a specific place to store each piece of equipment that is dry and out of the reach of children. Get into the habit of replacing each item in its correct place after you have finished using it in the garden.