Garden Tool Readiness

Gardening season is almost upon us, are your tools ready? To maintain your garden to its fullest, it's always good to make sure that you have all your garden tools ready to go before summer is in full swing! We’ve put together our favorite tips on how to get your tools in the best condition possible so your garden flourishes this summer.

The Garden Shovel

Clean off Debris

The shovel is likely the most popular tool in your arsenal for maintaining your garden. One of the first things you’ll want to do is make sure that that shovel is clean and sharp and ready to go. To do this, take your wire brush and clean off all the caked-on dirt and debris. The dirt might contain some seeds from weeds and moss that could wind up transporting to another spot of your property that they weren’t intended for, which is why it’s so important to clean it thoroughly.

Sharpen

Once your shovel is completely clean and free of any stickers or debris that will hold moisture, you can move on to the next step. If you're going to be digging in the ground with your hoe, spade, or shovel, it's a lot easier to do that digging if the tool has a bit of an edge to it, so that when you push it into the ground, it's going to be doing as much work as you are.

Sharpening is not difficult. You can either use a whetstone, a fine file, or a rasp. All you need to do is run it along the edge of the shovel. You could also use a disk grinder with a fine grinding disk on it. Just give it a quick whisp and it’s done! This won’t create a razor-sharp edge, but it will be just enough to cut through sod and dirt much faster.

Lubricate

Give the shovel a spray with spray oil or lubricant, something that will give it a nice coat of protection against moisture to prevent it from rusting. Now that we’ve gone over how to create a nice edge on the tool for easy use, the next step involves the other end of the tool, the handle.

Handle Maintenance

There are many options for handles on the market today. One common style is fiberglass, which is pretty much maintenance-free. Another style that is common, but does require some maintenance, is the wooden handle tool. Check to make sure that it's not cracked open or has any splinters that will hurt your hands. You’ll want it nice and smooth to the touch. If they are damaged or rough, take some sandpaper and give them a rub. Once they are smooth, apply a little bit of linseed oil from top to bottom. The linseed oil will seal it and keep moisture from getting into it, preventing it from cracking and splintering, and save you the cost of replacing it.

Pruners & Loppers

Tighten & Sharpen

The next tools we’ll cover are pruners and loppers, which shouldn’t take much maintenance. Check your loppers to make sure there isn’t a great amount of play in them. If there is, you will just want to tighten the center nut. You will also want to make sure they have a nice sharp edge.

Not much different than what you did with your shovel, you’ll take either a whetstone or a small fine file, and just give the edge a bit of a rub. Again, they're never going to be razor-sharp but you do want to be able to get the burrs and make it as easy as possible for it to cut material when you need to. A very similar process for your small hand pruners, you can give them a bit of a sharpen using the same method.

Lubricate

The last thing you’ll want to do with your pruners or loppers is find the pivot points and apply a little bit of lubrication. This will make them nice and easy to work with and will help keep the moisture from producing rust.

Safety Gear

To make your life easier and safer in the garden, we recommend getting yourself a pair of work gloves, safety glasses, and a knee pad for all that time spend on your knees.

We hope these tips helped you gear up for the gardening season ahead and reminded you of a few easy maintenance tasks to make your life a little easier. Don't forget to get your outdoor power equipment ready while you are at it! For more tips and tricks for in and around your home, subscribe to our YouTube channel.