By December, many garden tools have been put to bed for winter after a long season. The lawn mower is getting a well-deserved rest, pruners are less in demand in winter, and digging or weeding tools are certainly not seeing the same level of use as earlier in the year, if at all.
Your tools shouldn’t just be tossed away in a garage or shed and forgotten about until next spring. In an ideal world, they will have been given a good clean and some TLC before being stored. If you skipped that stage, though, December offers a great opportunity to clean your garden tools in preparation for next year.
We reveal some essential garden tools to service in December
When I worked as a professional gardener in the UK, we always cleaned, sharpened, and oiled hand tools, as well as gave mowers, hedge cutters, and strimmers some much-needed attention after many hours of use during the season.
It meant all tools were clean, sharp, dry, and in great working order, ready for the next gardening year. Cleaning and storing tools for winter in good condition has always stuck with me as a must-do, and I still take the time for my tools and machinery at home.
1. Pruning shears
The most used pruning tools throughout the year, pruning shears, endure a lot and do need to be kept clean and sharp. This benefits the gardener, as sharp pruning shears cut more easily than blunt ones, and plants, as they make clean cuts rather than jagged ones, which are easier to heal and reduce the risk of pests and diseases.
Therefore, cleaning pruning shears should be a regular job to prevent them from getting dirty, clogged, and rusty. But a deep clean is a definite for winter, and servicing them this month means they will be primed for when you start pruning plants in spring.
Disassemble the pruning shears and brush off any dirt. Wipe down the tools with warm, soapy water, scrubbing tough areas as required, and clean any rust from the blades with wire wool or a wire brush.
Then dry the tools and spray the joints and blades with a lubricating spray (I have always opted for WD40, available at Walmart) to keep them moving and protected from rust.
Sharpen your pruning shears with a fine file, sharpening stone, or a tool sharpener, such as this pocket-sized sharpening tool at Amazon that can put a sharp edge on the blade in just a few strokes.
2. Loppers
Loppers come to the fore for larger pruning of trees and shrubs, when the branches are too wide for pruning shears to cut safely. They often don’t demand as much attention or love as pruning shears, but need a good, deep clean and sharpening in winter, ready for the pruning season.
It is a similar checklist to pruning shears, though you don’t want to disassemble the tool. Wash away any dirt, debris or sap on the handles, mechanism, and blades with warm soapy water. And give the joints and blades a spray with lubricating spray to make cutting smoother and easier.
The cutting edge of the blades can be sharpened with a file, a sharpening stone, or a tool sharpener. After cleaning and sharpening the tool, ensure it is dry before putting it away to prevent the pruning tools from rusting over the winter.
If you also use a pruning saw to prune trees, this tool should be scrubbed with a stiff brush and soapy water to get all residue and debris from within the teeth. It is not as simple to sharpen a saw, unfortunately, as you need to sharpen each individual tooth with a small saw file.
3. Digging tools
Any trowels, spades, or forks will see a lot of action over the year, from planting shrubs, perennials, and bulbs, to turning soil, or dividing plants. After all this use, they deserve some TLC before you store gardening tools away in late fall or winter. It stops them rusting or splitting, and they’ll last you longer.
Brush any soil off and give them a scrub with a stiff brush and soapy water to remove all dirt and debris. Dry the tool with a cloth or towel, and if required, use a file to sharpen the cutting edge of the spade.
When sharpening a spade, maintain an angle of around 45 degrees and make slow, consistent strokes away from you.
Oiling tools before storage gives added protection. Wooden handles benefit from a thin coating of linseed oil (you can get linseed oil at Walmart), while camellia oil protects metal blades. Always wear gloves when oiling tools to prevent any skin irritation.
4. Weeding tools
There are many different types of weeders suitable for removing all manner of unwanted plants out of flower beds, lawns, patios, driveways, and more. Getting rid of weeds is a regular and often unavoidable gardening chore, but keeping the tools well-maintained helps make that task a little bit easier.
Tools such as a garden hoe, weeding sickle, weed puller, patio knife, or hori-hori knife should be cleaned after each use. It is essential for maintaining their effectiveness and preventing the spread of soil-borne diseases throughout the garden.
As with digging tools, scrub off soil from the handle and blade of the weeding tool and dry it thoroughly. A quick sharpen of the edges helps make weeding easier next year, and a thin layer of oil on wooden handles or metal blades protects against corrosion or rusting.
A good practice is to hang tools over winter, rather than leaving them on the floor. If you don’t have the space for wall-mounted racks, a free-standing tool organizer like this at Amazon can raise tools off the floor and away from moisture.
5. Rake
A rake is an under-valued garden tool, but come the end of fall, it may have seen a lot of use collecting leaves. It is versatile, used not only for clearing leaves but also for removing debris from garden beds and borders. Furthermore, it is suitable for scarifying a lawn in either spring or fall.
Whether you use a landscape rake, leaf rake, or garden rake (there is a surprisingly large number of different rakes), it can be quick and simple to clean a rake to preserve its lifespan and keep it in fine working order.
Clean dirt, debris, and moisture from the tool with a brush and dry it thoroughly before storing it away for winter.
6. Lawn mower
After giving your lawn its final mow of the year, give it some care and attention. All lawn mowers are regularly used throughout spring, summer, and into fall. You want to make sure it starts again and cuts properly when you start mowing the lawn again in spring, hence the need for a winter clean and service.
It can take just a little time to winterize a lawn mower before it is put away for the season, and it starts with giving the machine a good clean. Use a brush to remove clippings, dirt, and debris from around the deck and on the blade, then clean the air filter.
This can be done by tapping a paper air filter against a flat surface or washing foam filters with water and soap.
Depending on your lawn mower, either drain the fuel (you can alternatively add fuel stabilizer rather than draining it) or remove the batteries, and store the mower in a dry, sheltered place.
It is advisable to sharpen mower blades at least once a season, and you can either use a professional service or do it yourself.
To do the task, remove the mower blade, secure it in a vice, and use a metal file. Hold this at a 45-degree angle, and slide it in one direction, working up and down the blade. It is important to make sure the lawnmower blades are balanced before using it, and you can do so with a blade balancer, available at Amazon.
7. Hedge cutter
Well-maintained hedge cutters last longer and make pruning hedges easier. Before storing your tools away for the winter, there are a few key steps to take so you can have peace of mind that they’ll be in top shape for the next season.
Remove the battery from the tool, or drain all the fuel if it is a petrol-powered trimmer, and wipe down the blades with soapy water and a cloth. Before storing them away, ensure all screws or bolts are tight. Once the blade is dry, you can spray it with a lubricating spray.
If you want to sharpen hedge trimmer blades to keep them cutting at the best of their ability, align the blades to offset the cutter and the guard (they can be pushed with a solid object like a plastic screwdriver handle or a piece of wood) and secure your trimmer with a vice.
Use a flat file on the surface of each tooth, keeping a consistent angle and working only in one direction. A couple of passes on each tooth should suffice.
A hedge cutter can be stored in a dry and sheltered spot, such as a garage or shed, for winter, ideally raised off the floor and hanging from a hook.
To prevent yourself from making any faux pas that can damage your precious garden tools, this article on tool storage mistakes highlights six common errors that gardeners make when it comes to putting their tools away after use.
It includes the likes of storing wet tools, not protecting blades, and failing to look after batteries properly, along with expert advice to prevent falling foul of the mistakes.
This spray breaks down plant resin, sap, and dirt to keep pruning tools in great condition and extend their lifespan.
A beechwood brush with strong, water-resistant, plant-based bristles designed for heavy-duty cleaning tasks.
Protect your hands when cleaning tools, as well as doing any gardening, with these high-quality grain cowhide and split cow leather gloves.
