Garden Equipment and Tools
Care and maintenance of your garden and lawn equipment is important to keep
them in good condition so they will last for years and years. We recommend
the "Fall Clean-up" and "Spring Tune-up" approach. The neat thing about fall
clean-up is it can be done after your yard cleanup, in the garage during
those slower gardening time of the year.
Fall Clean-up
As you prepare to put away your garden tools and equipment for the winter,
give them a thorough cleaning. Bring out the soap and water, sponge and scrubber.
Clean your hand tool, lawn mowers, weed whackers and all other equipment.
Hand dry them or let them air dry. Now you are ready to prepare them for
winter, as winter can be hard on them too.
Tip: Do not leave tools and equipment out exposed to snow and rain,
as they will rust, rot, and corrode.
Hand tools- Inspect them for broken handles, rust and dull blades.
If the handles are broken, either repair them or plan to replace them. Sharpen
any tool that are dull. Use a fine sandpaper to clean rust off any bare metal
parts. Apply a light coat of oil on bare metal parts. Re-stain or repaint
wooden handles and parts as needed.
Power Equipment- After cleaning, re-oil all moving parts. Sharpen
lawnmower blades. Lightly oil bare metal parts. If possible, remove any gas
in the tank or run it until dry as gas can get old. Inspect for worn out
parts and plan to replace them over the long winter months, if possible.
Garden Hoses- Drain water completely as water in the hoses can freeze
and break the hose.
Coldframes- Clean up your coldframe over the fall and winter months.
If you spot mold, clean with a solution of water and bleach. If you use plastic,
inspect for holes. If the plastic needs replacement do it now or in the spring.
Don't wait until spring to get your coldframe ready or your plants may not
have a home when they need to get outdoors.
Spring Tune-up
If you did your fall Clean-up, your hand tools are ready to go! Ditto with
hoses and many other items.
Power equipment- Change the oil and clean the oil filter. Replace
spark plugs and any worn wires and parts. Put fresh gas into the unit.
More Information:
Buy Flower, Vegetable and Herb Seeds Finest quality
Ferry Morse Seed, America's oldest seed company with their famous "guarantee
to grow".
|
