Tool Maintenance
Keeping your tools clean and sharp will make them last longer and prevent tearing of plant material and spreading diseases through open wounds. Examine them regularly for dirt, discoloration, and rust, and check the blade edge for sharpness, chips, or dents.
Sanitize pruning/cutting tools when moving between one plant and the next to avoid spreading bacteria and viruses. Wipe the blades with an anti-bacterial wipe like Lysol or dip the tool in a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach and wipe them dry. When finished for the day after using bleach, rinse the tool with clean water and dry it off, and keep it lubricated with a light household oil like 3-in-1 or WD40, wiping it afterwards.
Your pruning tool needs sharpening if it doesn’t create a clean cut, requires excess effort to make the cut, catches plant parts in the blades or tears the stub leaving shreds that can permit disease pathogens to enter the cuts. This begins with a thorough cleaning of the tool with a household cleaner and a wire brush to remove built up plant saps, rust, and dirt from the blade and moving parts. Cleaning and drying are followed by a careful inspection of the tool to ensure that the blades operate smoothly and the gap between them is not too large and needs to be tightened, finally checking for chips and dents in the blade. The tool is then sharpened using a file or whet stone coated with oil or water. The last step is lubricating the entire tool head including all moving parts and screws. For detailed instructions, see the UCANR handout” Tool Sharpening.”
Clean larger digging tools like shovels, hoes, spades, and forks using a household cleaner and sandpaper, steel wool, putty knife, or a wire brush and then lubricate them. Keeping a bucket full of sharp sand with a quart of clean motor oil added helps to clean and lubricate long-handled tools by digging them in the sand a few times and wiping with a cloth or paper towel before storage. Don’t forget to clean the handles with a stiff brush, smooth splinters, and oil them lightly with mineral or linseed oil so they don’t dry out and crack. Dry tools completely before storage and keep them in a dry place.
Lawn mowers and edgers should also be cleaned, sharpened, and lubricated periodically. Follow the users’ manual carefully.