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Northern Gardening Tips: Take care of gardening equipment in the fall
October 02, 2007 -- By Cheryl Moore-Gough
MSU Extension Horticulturist
It's just about time to put away those garden tools for the season. But if you put them away dirty they'll be in rough shape come next spring. Clean them up now and treat wooden handles to lessen the chance of their giving you blisters next year.
You should always clean soil from your tools with a hose or a wire brush after each use, and it's even more important to do this at the end of the season. If your pruning shears are sticky with sap, use fine steel wool to scour the blades. Touch up edges that should be sharp. Use a flat file to work the edges of mower blades, shears and hatchets. Sharpen the edges of spades and hoes to help them cut through the soil a bit easier. Choose a fairly sharp bevel, about 30 degrees. More narrow bevels like 25 degrees will cut easier at first but will dull more quickly. After using the file, use a stone to lightly hone the edge and to remove the wire edge on the blade. Don't hone spades for long as this will only make them nick easier. When you're done and the blades are sharp and dry, use a paper towel to wipe on a thin coat of oil to prevent rusting. Kerosene, hydraulic fluid or 10-weight oil all work well.
Tools with wooden handles need special end-of-season care. Use fine sandpaper or steel wool to sand raised grain and varnish coatings. Both of these are rough on your hands. Brush or wipe on a liberal coat of boiled linseed oil. When it has dried, apply a second coat. Apply additional coats next year. Sanding and oiling will make the handles silky smooth and decrease the friction between your hands and the handles. This means that you'll not be as apt to blister your hands when playing weekend warrior early next spring.
Before you put your lawnmower away, take a few minutes to get it ready for spring mowing. These few minutes may save you many hours, and maybe even some money, next year.
With the engine off, remove the spark plug wire and drain the gasoline according to your instruction manual. Reconnect the spark plug and run the engine to burn out any gas left in the carburetor and gas line. When the engine has cooled, disconnect the spark plug wire again and drain the crankcase. Clean the mower by tipping it on its side and scraping or brushing dirt and clippings from beneath the deck. Repaint the deck underside if needed.
Sharpen the blade and check it for balance before you reinstall it. Here's how: Insert a round-shaft screwdriver into the center hole. If the blade dips to one side, remove a bit more metal from that side. Be sure to bevel only one edge on rotary blades.
Clean and regap or replace the sparkplug. Squirt a few drops of oil into the cylinder and turn the engine over a few times to lubricate the cylinder walls. Replace the plug. Wash plastic or sponge air filters in warm soapy water, then saturate them with oil, squeezing out the excess. Fill the crankcase with the recommended oil, tighten all screws, nuts and bolts. Blow off grass and dirt, and paint any rusty spots. This little bit of maintenance just may save you a colossal headache come next spring.
Contact: Cheryl Moore-Gough (406) 994-6523 or hort@montana.edu
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