From The Ground Up: Late season tasks do make a difference

Even when the snowflakes fly, we can let our thoughts turn to gardening. We might have put our beds to sleep, tucked in our planters, and emptied our pots for the season, but there still can be a to do list for the garden. Take care of your tools and your equipment now to be ready to hit the garden path in the spring.

Gather those garden tools and clean them well. Hand trowels and clippers need to be cleaned and oiled for optimum use. Store the trowels, weeders, and cultivator hand tools in a bucket of fine sand mixed with 3/4 of a quart of mineral oil. I wrap bright duct tape around the handles so they aren't so easy to lose in the grass or soil come planting time. Tighten screws and bolts to keep them in fine repair. Clean and oil the cutting blades of snippers, clippers, and ratchet tools. Check for repair needs. Sharpen the blades with a whetstone and a little bit of oil.

Larger tools need attention as well. Tighten the screws and bolts on your leaf and garden rakes, pitchforks and shovels. Clean the work surface of dirt and rust. Some people even wax their shovel blades to keep them rust free and easier to clean in the future. Wooden handles can become splintered in the long spring to fall work season. Take a moment to run some fine grain sandpaper along the wooden handles to catch any splinters or cracks. Serious chinks out of the wood call for repair with wood filler or an easy wrap of duct tape around the offending handle. Store these clean and repaired helpers for the winter.

Little things you can do now make your gardening season bright come spring. Wash all garden gloves and store them after they dry completely. Leather gloves, like rose gloves, can be loosely stuffed with newspaper to maintain their shape. Wash or clean you sun hat, clean off any kneelers or pads.

If you did not get a chance in nicer weather, take some time on a sunny afternoon and tip out those flower pots into a compost pile and use a stiff brush to scrub out the soil and roots. If you are using pots for starting plants and seed, wash the pots and sterilize in 1 part chlorine bleach to 20 parts water. Rinse in clear water and let dry. All clay pots should be emptied and flipped over for the winter to avoid freezing and thawing damage.

In January, the seed catalogs will start arriving and our thoughts will turn to garden plots and plans for the warm weather. Be prepared to get started in your garden with a shed full of well cared for tools.

For questions, call the Linn County Extension Master Gardener Hotline at (319) 447-0647.