Take good care of your garden tools and they will last a long time. Here are some tips:
§ Always remove all of the soil from your digging tools after each use.
§ Never put your tools away wet. Allow them to dry completely to prevent rust and handle rot.
§ Once each garden season, rub linseed oil into wooden handles to help preserve them.
§ After each use, wipe the metal parts of pruners, shears and loppers with an oily rag.
§ Or, wipe tools dry with a clean rag, then spray lightly with a penetrating lubricant such as WD40.
§ Sharpen cutting tools and blades of shovels and spades during the gardening season.
§ Use a hone or whetstone for sharpening and a file to remove nicks and smooth edges of shovels and trowels.
§ Thoroughly clean any tools that have been used for chemical applications as fertilizers and other chemicals rapidly corrode metal parts.
§ A neat trick is to fill a 5 gallon bucket with builders sand and pour a quart of new motor oil over it. Use this as a shovel cleaner/oiler each time you put your tools away. Plunge each tool in and out of the oily sand several times after use.
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