By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON
Master Gardener

Two forms of art in my life; culinary and garden require sharp tools. My father Ralph Freels kept mother’s kitchen hand tools sharp with a whet stone. I keep my knives sharp with a sharpening steel.

The garden tools, shovels, hoes, trimmers, clippers and lawn mower blades can all have their blades sharpened. Ron, my husband, sharpens the larger tools on a granite grinding stone and I send the small pruners to the local hardware to do the sharpening.

Take inventory of your existing collection and store them in a cool dry place where you can find them in the spring. However many of the tools I use year round, are stored inside. The other larger and used less often are stored in the garden shed with the relics of ages past.

This can all be done during winter months. We owe it to ourselves and the plants to keep strong well kept tools making them sharp for clean cuts on the stalks and the very small details of fine pruning. After use wash hardware with soap, water and on plants with suspicions of disease rinse with a 10 percent alcohol solution. Sharp tools are easier on our joints as we prune or cut fruits, vegetables and the trees on which they grow. Clean strong tools whether it is in the kitchen or garden make creating beautiful plants a joy and keeps all healthy.

Store items in a cool dry place where you can find them in the spring.

We have learned to appreciate the strong concrete tubs built in the style of a 1935 home for laundry and house hold chores. Very easy to wash large tools after finishing up a project and coating them with saddle soap or light weight machine oil so they will not rust. Rust dulls the edges and causes deterioration of the steel. One winters rust can lead to the destruction of a fine tool. Keep wood handles natural.

Washing outside with the garden hose or in an outdoor kitchen is not out of the question. Using antibacterial soap works well in cold water and alcohol solution will not hurt vegetation.

The invention, by John Deere, 1837, of the self-scouring steel-bladed plow gave vision and service of cutting clean, firm, deep and wide. This replaced the forged iron that had been used prior. The value of steel is irreplaceable for strong long lasting tools. Some tools of aluminum with alloys may be strong as well. Steel is heavier than aluminum, a fact to consider. The telescoping of some tools is a feature I like. Many can be purchased at your local hardware.

Taken inventory of your tools

The changing of the season is giving us new projects to think about. After the summer season double check to make sure you haven’t left a tool in the garden. Most tools are made of steel and will rust away fast if the metal isn’t protected from oxygen exposure. Decide which of the tools used worked well for you. Now is the time for sales to clear shelves for Christmas and later again for spring merchandise. Replacing tools that were lost or damaged through the summer season may be purchased during transition of the seasons at affordable prices.

Corson is a graduate of Adams Central High School, Manchester University and Ball State University. She and her husband, Ron, were married and enjoyed many years of traveling before they settled at Lake Papakeechie to raise their family. Soon after moving to the Syracuse area, Corson joined the Syracuse/Wawasee Garden Club and then became a Kosciusko County Master Gardener in 2002, the same year she retired from teaching.

“Early on my interest in gardening came from a lineage of farmers and their wives, including three generations of generosity, giving me an enormous collection of heritage trees, shrubs and flowers. History and traveling has given me special interest in native flowers, hosta, the art of bonsai and many plants that have been naturalized.”

Individuals who wish to contact Corson for further information or questions may email her at [email protected].

Larger tools and those used less often are stored in the garden shed with the relics of ages past.