The Second Saturday with the Southside Master Gardener
Association will feature tool sharpening from 8 to 11 AM at the Halifax Farmers
Market on September 10. The new SSMGA
cookbooks will be available.
Garden
tools are an extension of the home gardener’s hand. Good tools are an
investment, one that needs to be protected especially when money is
tight. Fortunately, this is not difficult to do. Bring your small hand tools to the Halifax
Farmers Market on September 10 and the Master Gardeners will cheerfully clean
and sharpen your tools.
 |
Bring your garden tools to the Halifax Farmers Market on
September 10 and Tommy Conner and Linda Singer will cheerfully sharpen and
clean them free of charge
|
We all know
that sharp tools, especially pruners, are easier to use, but did you know sharp
tools are better for the plant? Dull pruner blades can tear
bark or mash
a stem leaving a wound that is open and susceptible to the entry of diseases or
insects. The plant has defenses to heal from a sharp clean cut made at
the proper place.
One
situation that is often overlooked is the need to keep tools clean and
disinfected. It is common for dirty tools to be carriers of
disease. Regularly disinfecting tools is as easy as having a squirt
bottle of alcohol handy and spritzing tools before moving from plant to
plant. If pruning out diseased plant parts, it should be done with every
cut. The Virginia Extension Agency
recommends using mouthwash or alcohol, but a weak bleach solution (one part
bleach to nine parts water) or disinfecting cleaning solutions such as Lysol® are good alternative
disinfectants.
It is a
good idea to clean and sharpen your tools after every
use. The following is an effective method but if this seems to
complicated just bring your tools to the market:
1. Spritz tool with
disinfectant before doing anything. You do not want to spread disease
pathogens to sharpening or cleaning implements.
2. Use a steel wool
pad in soapy water to clean the working surface. This will cut through
gummy resins and caked on dirt.
3. Once clean, use a
bastard or mill file to sharpen the blade. Follow the angle of the bevel, pulling the file away from the tool edge. Some
tools have bevels on both sides so both sides will need sharpening.
4. Tools such as
trowels and shovels can be passed through a bucket of sand filled with
oil. Used motor oil works well. This will provide a protective film
on the tool to prevent rust.
5.
A drop of lubricant such as WD-40® or 3-in-1 Household Oil® should be applied to working
parts to keep them operating smoothly.
“Thyme
to Eat!” was created to support Master Gardener outreach programs such as
public garden education, the children’s garden at the Southern Virginia
Botanical Garden and Farmers Market programs, as well as scholarships for local
4H campers. It is is chock full of riveting recipes like Gnudi, Pan y
Mas, Beouf Bourguignon and even a Squash Bug Trap – well, we are Master
Gardeners! There are also traditional favorites such as Sweet Potato
Casserole and Pecan Pie. Cost of the
cookbook is $14.
Bring your
small hand tools to the Halifax Farmers Market on September 10 from 8 to 11 AM
and the Master Gardeners will clean and sharpen them at no charge. As always, Master Gardeners will be there to
answer your gardening questions and please visit the regular vendors with
veggies, fruits, organic meats, herbs and eggs. Inside vendors have an
assortment of handmade items, collectables and even portrait photography. If you want to know more about the Master
Gardeners and their programs, contact Bill McCaleb at the Halifax Extension
Office 434-476-2147 or e-mail ask@ssmga.org.
