Tool Cleanup

In the course of bringing the growing season to a close, it's important to take a look at our tools.  I was reminded of this through the Florida Master Gardener Program Facebook page.  They had a post recently about cleaning and performing maintenance on garden tools.  And this makes a lot of sense.

At the close of the season, it is a good idea to clean the tools.  Just as I have a hard time getting to my  blog during the growing season, I tend to put off maintenance on tools.  As long as I can manage with them as they are, then it's good...right?  Okay, when I say, "...right?" like that, the answer usually is, "no."  While this is a good time to work on tools if necessary, we really should be cleaning them as we go.

I'm guilty!  And I know better.  It's common knowledge that some diseases can be transmitted fairly easily through dirty tools.  The 'mum research I did just a week or so ago suggested as much.  Houseplant tools are an easy carrier of the nasties, too.  But it's so EASY to trim, prune and dig without cleaning tools in between.  Sometimes we can transmit the diseases without even knowing, as well.

So, in the course of cleaning any dirt from our garden tools, we also want to think about cleaning pruners from the garden and house, as well.

For the end-of-season cleaning of garden tools, use a wire brush for any dried-on soil.  Use WD-40 a little extra cleaning and conditioning of the tool.  I have a friend who uses a five-gallon bucket filled with sand that has been mixed with a little motor oil.  She aspires to clean her tools after every use with this set-up.  By having a system set up, she can achieve this goal a bit more easily than those of us who are not ready.  And if successful, she would not need to go through this annual catch-up.

Now, in order to prevent transmission of disease on tools, the general rule is to use a 10 percent bleach solution.  This concentration is also good for disinfecting used pots prior to using.  To achieve this solution, mix one part bleach per nine parts water.  Use a larger bucket for disinfecting larger tools and pots and decrease the amount mixed for smaller uses.  Contact by this solution on the tools should last for at least 15 seconds.

By cleaning and disinfecting tools, we can benefit by keeping the tools in good shape, as well as our plants, gardens and yards by preventing the spread of infection.

To Blog or To Garden

I wonder how many blogs start with, "It's been a long time since my last entry..."  Okay, well it has.  I've struggled all year with time.  But I still managed to garden and have a relatively good harvest, despite some weather issues.  And now, it's time to put it all to bed.

Since our freeze and the death of my summer's labors, the garden space is black with decay.  It is tempting, in this trend of busy schedules, to simply leave the garden remains to decay in the garden.  After all, it would simply make good compost, right?  Or would it?

By leaving old garden remains where they fall, we could also be leaving a host of issues that will continue for another season or longer.  First off, any plant matter that is left on the garden may be host to diseases that will winter over and return in the following growing season.  For many plants, whether vegetables or flowers, it's best to remove plant debris from the bed.  This is good practice during the growing season, as well as at the year-end clean-up.

Second, any fruit left on the garden may germinate the next year.  If you're like me, however, when a stray tomato plant comes up, it's fun to let it grow and see which heirloom variety it is or what the hybrid seed will come back as.  I hate killing plants!  But now, I have a large section of my garden that grew tomatoes this past season and may also have more volunteers in the spring.  This will reduce my options when it comes to rotating my garden crops (another good way to reduce garden diseases.) 

And lastly, the aesthetic reason for cleaning up the garden:  it simply looks better!  When I look at my clean garden area, I am pleased with the conclusion of the garden season.  If I were still looking at the carcasses of my beloved tomato plants, I might just become a little teary!

So, for these reasons, I advise all gardeners to clean up gardens by removing all plant and fruit debris.  This clean-up may seem like a lot of work, but I find that it's the considerations and thinking that end up taking more time!

Happy Fall!