Written and most photographs by Beth Whipple, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer
Fall chores are nearly done — but where are your tools? I found my pruners in the compost pile. Oops! Round up your gear before winter plays hide-and-seek.
Scrub, disinfect, dry. Don’t let dirt and disease hitch a ride on your tools, pots or trays.
- Clean and disinfect before winter storage.
- Missed the fall cleanup? Do it before spring gardening.
- Disinfect after an infected plant, before tackling the next.
- Clean and disinfect after gardening elsewhere, before using tools at home.
Tool tune-up how-tos
Brush off soil and debris, wash tools, pots, and trays with soap and water, then disinfect and dry. One option is a solution of one part bleach to four parts water. Non-chlorine bleach (color safe) hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol and disinfectant cleaners are alternatives. Each option kills remaining fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Rinse with clean water, let tools dry, and apply a light coat of cooking oil before storing to prevent rust. Caring for your tools goes a long way, some of our tools are 70-80 years old.
Sand rough wooden handles and protect them with linseed oil or paint. Baseball or golf tape can give aging handles a grip makeover.
Sharpen tools with cutting edges. A sharp tool is safer because it takes less force to use. Prefer to leave sharpening to someone else? Ask a garden center or local sharpening service about tools, mower blades, and more.
Tuck everything in. Store rakes teeth-down and stack clean tomato cages. Drain hoses, coil them on rounded supports—not nails—and connect the ends to keep bugs from moving in. Clean sprinklers and timers, too.
Don’t forget the power tools
Give mowers and tillers a seasonal cleanup, including fuel, oil, spark plugs, air filters, and grass buildup under the mower deck.
With electric and battery powered tools
there is no gas to drain or spark plugs to change—hooray! Electric tools still need routine care.
Keep batteries and chargers indoors, away from moisture and extreme temperatures.
For charging, use, and winter storage, let the manufacturer’s recommendations call the shots.
Ergonomic and racheting tools give your hands a break
- Ratcheting pruners cut tough stems in stages—click, click, snip! Less squeezing means less hand strain. Better small racheting pruners have an oil reservoir.
- Look for comfortable grips, natural wrist positions, and tools that reduce bending. Lever-style hose nozzles keep water flowing without a constant squeeze.
- Garden kneelers can double as seats. An old rug or towel can cushion your knees, and a 5-gallon bucket can serve as a seat.
- Wheelbarrow wobble? Try two wheels instead of one.
Shopping for new garden tools? Try before you buy—comfort and ease of use counts! Check garden centers, big-box stores, look for bargains at estate and garage sales, or browse online for specialty tools. For a taste of spring, visit home and garden shows—you’ll often find gardening tools at booths.
My favorite tool of the year? A re-useable plastic grocery bag. It carries plants and keeps soil out of vehicles. At home, I can water plants in the bag, carry them to the planting spot, then use the bag to collect garden scraps for the compost pile. Bags are lighter to carry than a 5-gallon bucket, too. Glamorous? No. Useful? Absolutely. Let the family tease—I’m keeping my bags!
Further reading for information about cleaning and what different tools are for:
- Readying Your Garden Tools
- Clean and disinfect gardening tools and containers
- Clean gardening tools before storing them for the winter
- Garden Tools
- Know your Landscape Tools
- Adaptive Gardening equipment & tools resource list
- Electric Yard Equipment Buyer’s Guide
Ohio State University Extension Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer program. As Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, our articles will never endorse specific products or companies. Questions/comments/suggestions/want to find out more/become a PCMGV: 330-296-6432 • OSU PCMGV web • portco.mgv.oh@gmail.com • FB PCMGV • PCMGV Speaker’s Bureau