CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 09/30/96

Prepare Garden Tools for Winter

Your garden may be about ready for a long winter's nap, but your work isn't done.

Don't forget to tuck your gardening tools into bed for the winter, too. A little bit of attention now will reap rewards of years of good service from gardening tools.

It's hard to know when to call the gardening season quits in some years. Just when we think we've mowed the lawn for the last time, a couple of weeks of mild temperatures bring back the green blades of grass. Newly planted flowers, trees and shrubs should be watered thoroughly every week or so until the cold really sets in, especially if rainfall is scarce.

As cold or freezing temperatures come, prepare your tools by giving them a thorough cleaning. Those steel wool barbecue-grill scrubbing pads are great for removing caked-on soil from shovels, hoes, trowels and spades.

Scrub the blades and handles with soap and water. Allow them to dry completely before storing. Rub a little linseed oil or similar protector over wood handles to keep the wood from drying and splitting. Sharpen your tools now to ensure a quick start in spring.

Drain water from garden hoses and sprinklers. Hang them to dry before coiling the hoses for storage. Replace washers and repair leaks. Hoses left outdoors during the winter could crack and split, especially if they still have water inside.

Rinse and dry your fertilizer/pesticide spreader and oil all moving parts. Rinse sprayers and allow them to drip dry before storing. The best way to dispose of unused chemicals in the sprayer is to apply the product as directed on the label.

Store unused pesticides in their original containers with the label intact. Place all pesticides away from children and pets, either in a locked cabinet or on a shelf at least four feet off the ground. Protect pesticides from freezing temperatures and excessive heat.

When you think your lawn has seen its last mowing this year, run your mower until it is out of fuel. Changing the mower's spark plug and sharpening the blade now will save you some time next spring. Some products are now available to help stabilize fuel so it can be stored over winter, but I still recommend you drain it or use up the leftover fuel.

Use up or drain fuel from the garden tiller before storing. If your equipment has a 4-cycle engine, drain and replace the crankcase oil. Clean the machine by scraping off matted grass and wiping off accumulated oil. Lubricate moving parts as the manufacturer directs.

Now you can finally relax and enjoy the fruits of your gardening labor. Curl up next to the fireplace with your favorite gardening catalog and order new plants for spring. And read the many gardening publications from your county Extension Service agent.

Wayne McLaurin is a professor emeritus of horticulture with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Wayne J. McLaurin
Jeffrey Dean (center), assistant provost and campus director for UGA-Griffin, with 2024 Classified Employee Award recipients Daniel Nordstrom (left) and Kenny Corley. (Photos by Ashley Biles) CAES News
Corley, Nordstrom named UGA-Griffin 2024 Classified Employees of the Year 04/23/24 Ashley N Biles
The University of Georgia Griffin campus recently named Kenny Corley and Daniel Nordstrom the 2024 Classified Employees of the Year. The designation was made at the 35th annual Employee Recognition Ceremony held April 3. The Employee of the Year award is presented to classified personnel who have made a significant impact on programs at UGA-Griffin through superior job knowledge and performance, work attitude, initiative, dependability and time management.
A Master Gardener with UGA Extension teaches a class at the GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs 04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
uga commencement CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation 04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
A student harvests red clover at UGArden. CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 04/15/24 David Mitchell
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.
2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate who went on to earn a master’s degree in 1982 and education specialist degree in 1984 from UGA’s College of Education. CAES News
Innovator, educator inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame 04/11/24 Maria M. Lameiras
An innovator in peanut breeding whose research revitalized an industry and an ardent champion of agricultural education were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the 68th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards in Athens. The 2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate.