- Author: Help Desk Team
Evenings are growing dark and maybe it's too cold and wet to work in the garden. What better time for tool care? It's also a great time of year to drop some hints to friends and family for those expensive new pruning shears you've been wanting.
Tool care does not come naturally to many gardeners, but it's straightforward and you'll be rewarded with years of good service. Dull, dirty blades can crush plant tissue, damaging the cambium and creating an entry point for pests and diseases.
Here is a summary:
• Clean and sharpen dull blades.
• Lubricate garden tools and repair damaged grips.
• Cleaning can be done with soapy water and a wire brush or steel wool; air dry and apply a light coat of oil to prevent corrosion.
• Tools with wood handles can be sanded and rubbed down with linseed oil.
• File cutting tools, including shovel blades, to sharpen.
• Store tools in a dry, covered area.
• Have your lawn mower serviced to get a jump on spring tasks.
Tools may need some repair in addition to cleaning. Pruners can be taken apart for repair or cleaning.
Cleaning includes removing soil and grit, rust, sap (which could be from an infected canker), and disinfecting. Disinfection is essential to prevent the transmission of disease from one plant to another.
Sharpening does not have to be scary. You can buy a cheap, easy-to-use hand-held carbide sharpener or file from most hardware stores.
After sharpening, all metal surfaces should be oiled to prevent rust.
As you will see from the links below, there is more than one way to clean and sharpen your tools, but the principles are the same. There is some disagreement about disinfecting tools. If you know you used your tool on a diseased plant, debris must be removed first followed by several minutes of soaking in a 10% bleach solution. Lysol or Pine-Sol 10% solutions or 70% alcohol soaks have also been shown to work. Be sure to rinse the bleach solution off to prevent corrosion. Don't forget to disinfect or dispose of the items used to remove infected debris!
Detailed articles on tool cleaning and care:
https://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/tool-care-tips/
https://ucanr.edu/datastoreFiles/268-723.pdf
Articles on disinfectants:
https://calag.ucanr.edu/Archive/?article=ca.v045n04p21
https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/Pruning.pdf
Excellent videos on tool cleaning and care:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMy_jtmihEQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vROuLbOuYq0
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (EAS)
Help and Advice from the Contra Costa Master Gardeners' Help Desk
Cleaning and Lubricating Tools for Use in an Organic Garden
Client's Question(s)
I have a lot of tools to maintain this winter and would like to know if you have any information on how to sharpen tools: pruners, loppers, shovels, hoes, etc. Also, what kind of lubricating oil should I use -- these are tools used in an organic garden and I do not want to use motor oil as suggested by some other sites.
CCMG's Help Desk Response
Thank you for contacting the Master Gardener help desk with your questions about maintaining your gardening tools. You are to be commended for doing maintenance on your tools--too many people ignore this vital part of keeping equipment in good working order.
The first order of business is to clean the tools and remove any rust. I've found that scrubbing clippers with a bit of mild detergent and water will get most of the gunk off tools before sharpening. If you've kept them clean during the season, you're a step ahead. Shovels and hoes may require a little more muscle--a stiff bristle brush or wire brush can be used to remove dirt and rust. 
(gloves are recommended)
picture: Pinterest
For pruning shears and knives, it's possible to get good results with any of the diamond, ceramic, or high-carbon steel honing devices that are on the market. You can also use an oil stone. When sharpening a blade on a stone, simply slide the blade over the flat surface of the stone in one direction until you reach the desired sharpness. No matter which device you choose to sharpen your cutting blades, it should come with directions for use. A good guideline to use for all sharpening is to follow the bevel already on the tool's blade. Here is a link to a Fine Gardening magazine article about cleaning and sharpening tools (it includes diagrams illustrating sharpening angles for various types of tools): http://www.finegardening.com/clean-sharp-tools-work-better.
As far as a lubricating oil, vegetable oil spray can be used to protect tools such as shovels and hoes after cleaning. Non-petroleum lubricants such as Felco Lubricant Spray or food-grade silicone spray can be used on tools with moving parts such as pruners.
Happy gardening in the new year!
Contra Costa Master Gardeners' Help Desk
Note: The Contra Costa Master Gardener Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/
