Take The Time to Evaluate Your Garden Tools

The warm temperatures may be calling you outside, but the threat of a late season freeze should repress the desire to cut everything back. Instead, take the time to evaluate your garden tools. The right tool can transform a seemingly impossible chore into a simple task. Few of us can imagine trying to garden without shovels, hoes, rakes, not to mention lawn mowers, string trimmers, and garden hoses. Therefore, it only seems logical to take time to maintain, and repair your garden tools. HAND TOOLS: One of the easiest tasks is to evaluate your hand tools. Check the condition of basics like shovels, hoes and rakes. Clean off any lingering dirt and inspect the handles for cracks and splintering. A new handle may be a small investment to make your spring gardening easier. Many of us forget that a good edge on a shovel will help cut through clods and roots. If your shovel edge is dull or missing chunks, you may want to consider purchasing a new shovel. Clippers are other key tools for the gardener. Take time to sharpen both your hand clippers and your lopping sheers before thinking about spring pruning. A sharp blade will make the cuts much easier and will produce cleaner cuts that result in healthier plants. There are inexpensive blade sharpeners available at hardware stores for basic blade maintenance. In severe cases of bent blades or blades that don't align, make the investment in a new set of clippers now before stock is limited in spring. MOWERS: The lawn mower is another tool that often gets abused, being run into the ground with little maintenance except adding oil and gas. Instead of treating your mower as a disposable tool, use this period of minimal mowing to give your most-used power tool a tune up. New air filters and a spark plug will do wonders. Also, don't just add oil, change it completely to extend the life of the engine. The mower blade also needs attention. I know I have mowed my grass with dull blades on more than one occasion. Take time now to replace or sharpen the blade. This should be done several times a year in our long mowing season. A dull blade leaves ragged edges on the grass which results in more browning of the cut tips. A sharp blade produces a manicured look with minimal browning at the point of cutting. The easiest way to maintain a sharp mower blade is to purchase a second blade. This small investment that will produce big results with both a better looking lawn coupled with convenience when you maintain your mower. The additional blade will eliminate down time when the mower blade needs sharpening and prevent an excuse to delay this maintenance task. Just remember to sharpen the dull blade soon after you replace it so it is ready for the next change-out. HOSES: Hoses are another tool that is often forgotten until there is a problem. Inspect your hoses for stiffness, cracking and leaks. An inexpensive hose repair kit will patch up a hole and often has a new rubber washer to prevent leaks at the faucet. If your hose is beyond help, then I suggest looking now for a replacement. Selection is good as garden centers stock up for the spring rush, allowing you to get the hose length and diameter that best suits your gardening needs. Source: caller.com