With winter on our door step, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists have provided tips on how to prepare garden tools and equipment for the season. Proper care for the tools can prolong their lifetime and prevent repairs. In the fall, caked-on soil should be removed from shovels, spades, hoes and rakes with a wire brush or putty knife. Tools should then be washed with water and let dry. Blades of hoes, shovels and spades may be sharpened and the metal wiped with an oily rag or sprayed with WD-40.

Rough wooden handles on tools should be sanded and wiped with oil to prevent drying and cracking. Tools should be stored in a dry location and remember to drain water from garden hoses before storing them on reels or coiled on a flat surface.