Maintaining and Storing Your Garden Tools

It's about that time when fellow gardeners will be storing their garden tools for the winter. If you've been maintaining your garden tools over the last couple of seasons, then congrats to you. But some of us are using metal detectors to find our misplaced garden tools. Lost under a heap of overgrown plants, many tools lay hidden, awaiting a nice dry spot in the garden shed.

But wait... before you store those garden tools in the garden shed, you can possibly help them endure one more season with some simple garden tool maintenance tips that are listed below.

• Always try to keep your garden tools as dry as possible


• When storing garden tools, make sure they are clean. Run your tool blades through a bucket of sand.


• Remove any rust that may have accumulated on your tools over the gardening season


• Sharpen any blades now so they will be ready for next Spring.


• Lightly oil any metal parts, especially any pivoting bolts and screws. 3-in-1 oil or lithium grease is good for this purpose


• If your wooden handles need a facelift, sand them down and then wipe down with boiled linseed oil


• Store your garden tools in a dry place such as a garden shed or garage

Gardening Tips