Important steps to take before retiring garden tools for winter

Good garden tools are like old friends. They’re not easy to find, and it takes some time and effort to get familiar and comfortable with them. But ultimately, they’re always there for us.

Using the perfectly broken-in spade or trusty pair of pruners can make pleasant work of even the toughest gardening chores. And just like old friends, garden tools have to be taken good care of.

As the gardening and cleanup season comes to a close, now’s the time to keep your tools in tiptop shape with some simple but important end-of-the year maintenance.

My routine is fairly basic, but it has served my tools well for many years.

1. Wash off mud and gunk

Use steel wool or a wire brush to crack caked-on sap or hardened soil. A power drill or grinder motor with a wire-brush attachment will save a lot of elbow grease, but smaller tools can be taken care of by hand. A vice comes in handy here if you have it.

Remove deeply rusted areas with coarse sandpaper or by using a sanding-pad attachment on a power drill. Dry metal parts with shop towels or rags, then lightly wipe them with a thin coating of petroleum-based lubricant and rust inhibitor, such as 3-in-1 oil.

2. Disassemble and clean bypass pruners

Start by removing the spring and pulling apart the two halves. Remove caked-on dirt with a wire brush, then coat the metal parts in a lubricant such as WD-40 to cut rust. Scrub the metal surfaces with an old toothbrush or soft-bristle brush, and polish away rust and sap with very-fine steel wool soaked in the lubricant. Wipe with a clean rag.

To sharpen, lightly grind a new edge on the cutting blade with a whetstone. Match the angle of the old edge until bright, shiny metal shows along the entire length. Run a diamond file across the flat back of the blade to remove any burrs left by the sharpening stone. Reassemble the pruners and store in its holster, if available.

3. Restore shovels and spades

Carefully position the tool in a vice and secure it snugly. Use a flat-mill file to regrind the same bevel angle that came on the cutting edge. When the edge is smooth, even and shiny all along its length, check the bevel — it should be between 40 and 70 degrees.

Turn the shovel over, apply some light machine oil and rub a fine-grit grinding stone along the back edge in a circular motion. This will remove the burr raised on the back of the blade by the file. Wipe the entire tool blade with more machine oil and fine steel wool.

4. Treat wooden handles

To reduce drying and splintering, wooden handles should be treated with boiled linseed oil (raw linseed oil doesn’t dry). This is good even for varnished wooden handles because it will protect any wood exposed by nicks in the finish. Lightly sand the wood with fine sandpaper, and then wipe a linseed-oil-soaked rag over the entire wooden handle. Let it sit for a few minutes to soak in, then wipe it dry. If the wood needs greater protection, repeat this step several times as necessary.

Store your tools in a dry space, such as the garage or storage shed. Never leave them out in the elements where they can get damp enough to rust.

Quality tools are well worth the money. And when you take the time to clean and store them properly during the offseason, they’ll last years longer.

Joe Lamp’l is the host and executive producer of Growing a Greener World on national public television. More information is available at growingagreenerworld.com.