Keep Your Gardening Tools in Shape!

Good garden tools will give you many years of service, given proper care. Here’s what to do to make them last.

• Clean off all gardening tools after use. This does not have to take long—simply hose them down and quickly brush off any soil with a stiff brush. Periodically give metal parts a once-over with a wire brush and wipe with oil to fend off rust.
• Treat aging wooden handles with boiled linseed oil or varnish, as many coats as the wood can take.
• Sharpen edges of hoes and shovels with a file. File in one direction only, toward the outside of the edge, following the original angle. An abrasive disk attached to an electric drill is useful for more thorough sharpening. Be sure to wear eye protection.
• Protect gardening supplies and tools from the elements when not in use. If you arrange a place for each tool to hang, you’ll be more likely to return it to its “home” when the job is done.

And if your tools are feeling a bit dull, our professional mobile knife sharpener, Matt, can sharpen one-handed and two-handed garden tools and axes. Please check our calendar to see when Matt will be at your favorite Cole Hardware location.