A very unpleasant moment at the beginning of spring may be the statement thatstored garden tools are rusty and unusable , and the mower that has been working perfectly so far, does not work properly or does not start at all. To avoid this type of unpleasantness, it is worth finding outhow to protect garden tools for the winterso that they serve us like new in the next season!
Winter protected garden tools
Propermaintenance and storage of garden toolswill allow us to use them effectively and for longer without the need to repair or buy new equipment.
How to protect your digging tools for the winter
Clean the rakes, shovels, hoes, forks from plant residues and soilDirt will be easy to remove with a wire brush. Such a brush will remove not only strongly adherent dirt and soil remnants, but also rust. The tools can be washed with water, but to get rid of bacteria or fungal spores, it is worth immersing them in boiling water for a while or wiping them with spirit or denatured alcohol.
Garden soap with garlic will help to thoroughly clean the tools, which not only cleans well, but also has a disinfecting effect thanks to the added garlic. Personally, I like to use them because it is a proven, safe and completely natural way to clean and disinfect garden tools. There is no need to reach for stronger chemicals.
After washing the tools, dry them thoroughly and cover their metal parts with a preservative or a thin layer of oil Useful will be the commercially available WD-40, which not only cleans and lubricates, but also removes water from hard-to-dry areas and leaves a layer to prevent corrosion. The application of the preparation in a spray will be very easy. However, if we do not have this preparation, ordinary olive oil or cooking oil (e.g. rapeseed oil or olive oil) will suffice. Apply oil or oil with a brush.
Clean and preserved toolsstore tools in a dry, closed room
How to secure your watering equipment for the winter
The basic treatment in relation to the water supply infrastructure that will remain on the plot or in the garden (pipes, taps, etc.) is to empty it of waterAs the temperature drops, freezing water increases its volume. So if it remains in the pipes without drainage, it will burst them from the inside and cause cracks.We should therefore close the water supply valve to our garden or plot, and then turn on all the taps on the plot As the water freezes, excess water will flow out of the pipes.
A garden hose with plastic connection elements is a good idea to disassemble and move it to a closed roomThe temperatures in the storage room should not fall below 0 &176C, as large temperature fluctuations may deteriorate the properties of the rubber from which the watering hose is made and, as a result, cause its cracking. Place the hose in such a way that no bends are formed on it.
For the winter, disconnect the garden hose and hide it inside the room
How to protect your cutting tools for the winter
We clean and wash the secateurs, grass shears and hedge trimmers, similar to digging tools.To remove residual resin from scissors and secateurs, use an alcohol solution or a solvent, e.g. keroseneRemember to also use boiling water or spirit to destroy bacteria and fungi.Denatured alcohol is also suitable for resin cleaning and disinfection. The connection points of the moving parts of garden tools should be covered with a maintenance agent. As with digging tools, WD-40 will be helpful, but you can also use common cooking oil or olive oil. Covering the surface with oil will protect it from rust.
How to protect a pressure sprayer in winter?
After autumn spraying, it is worth preparing a garden sprayer for winter. You shouldrinse it thoroughly and wash it with water and detergentso that no detergent remains inside. I recommend using garden soap with garlic, which has disinfecting properties. After washing and pouring out the water, the sprayer should be slightly inflated andspray the remaining water from the pipes, lance and nozzle
Then unscrew the individual elements and dry them thoroughly. When everything is dry,lubricate the sealing ring on the pump piston and the safety valve with silicone oil
As moisture may still remain in the hose or lance, and freezing water may damage the sprayer seals, always store the devicein a frost-free room over the winterThis will extend the life of the pump, valve and seals on the sprayer.
In winter, the water supply to the garden should be closed and the faucet in the garden left in the open position
How to protect electric and combustion tools for winter
Electric saws, lawn mowers and grass trimmers may require sharpening or repair after the season. In the event of visible damage, have them serviced. It is worth lubricating the connection points of electric wires with the WD-40 preparation so that the damp ones do not corrode.
The bottom maintenance of the mower is the most importantThe body should be cleaned of grass, mud and dust, and metal parts should be protected against corrosion.The knives are cleaned and sharpened, and covered with preservative. In the case of electric mowers, these treatments will be sufficient.
Petrol mowers should be maintained in accordance with the operating instructions, as the maintenance method may differ for different types of devices. For people who are not experienced in the maintenance of petrol lawn mowers, we recommend taking the device to a service point.
The general rule of conductin the case of maintenance of petrol lawn mowers is to perform the following steps :
- disconnection of the high voltage wire from the spark plug,
- cleaning or replacing the air filter, fuel consumption to the end (do not pour it out),
- oil change (in some types of mowers it is done in spring)
- Bring the mower into a dry room before its engine cools down to prevent condensation on the metal parts of the mower
- it is also worth preserving the engine cylinders. To do this, we unscrew the candles, inject engine oil and screw the candles in again. In spring, when you start the mower, the oil will burn out (it will smoke a little, but don't worry about it).
Note!Remember that the petrol lawn mower should always be horizontal. Otherwise the carburetor may be damaged or the filter may be flooded! During cleaning and checking, it must not be turned or tilted sideways, but it can be tilted back a little.
Prepared on the basis of: Moje Ogród, Delta-WZ, Warsaw 1993, pp. 582 - 585 and E. Baran, How to protect garden equipment against winter? , Flowers, No. 4/99, p. 9.
