How To Winterize Your Garden Tools

As soon as you harvest the last of your fall broccoli and radishes, it will be time to say hello, sweet garden, for the winter. And once you’ve pulled up your dahlia bulbs and dug lime and compost into the soil, you should prepare your garden tools for their winter rest.

The best way to store garden tools is to hang them inside a garage or basement so they won’t get wet from a damp floor. Some people add a little motor or vegetable oil to a bucket of sand and dip tools before hanging, which removes bits of rusts and lightly coats tools to protect against rust during the winter.

Here are more tips on storing garden tools for winter.

Hand Tools: After you round up your hand tools, give them a soap and water bath and sharpen blades with a mill file. Oil moving parts with spritz of WD-40, and hang on a pegboard to keep them dry and organized. I paint the handles red so they’re easier to spot in the garden come spring.

Digging Tools: Remove soil and debris from shovels and spades with a wire brush, then wash with soap and water. Remove rust with steel wool, and sand the rough spots on wood handles with medium grit paper. Seal the wood with polyurethane or rub with linseed oil.

Cutting Tools: Remove dirt and debris from shears, nippers, knives and loppers. Sharpen blades and remove any remaining rust. Oil hinges, and open and close tools a couple of times to distribute and work in the oil.

Tillers: Run the gas dry or add a fuel stabilizer that will keep the gas fresh for a few months before you need it again. Clean tines and remove rust. If you don’t have room indoors to store the tiller, raise it on a couple of cinder blocks and cover tightly with a tarp.

Hoses: Remove, clean and store nozzles; drain hoses and store inside -- away from daylight -- so they won’t crack under freezing temperatures. Cap the end of the hose to prevent insects from crawling in during winter. Coil the hose and hang in on the wall or store in a garbage can.

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