Do you have the gardener's kit in your garden shed?
Roses, tulips, hedges, tomato plants… you take care of all your plants but the disinfection of tools such as the rake, etc. is essential.
To discover
February: what vegetables and fruits are in season?
Why disinfect them?
First of all, it is recommended to disinfect garden tools to ensure their longevity.
There is no point letting earth, water or any other material damage the tool in question in the medium or long term, such as rust or limescale, for example.
Humidity is what risks damaging your equipment, so drying is essential.
From a second perspective, certain plants can be victims of fungi or bacteria.
If you use the same material for all your plants, it unfortunately risks contaminating all the plants.
What tools are affected?
Here is a list of the most common tools that need annual cleaning, during the winter, provided that they have not been in contact with contaminated plants.
In this case, they will need to be disinfected after each use:
Secateurs
The shears
The deck
The spade
The spade fork
The hoe
The serfouette
The fang
The saw
The grelinette
The chainsaw
The branch cutter
The grafters
Knives
the rakes
The plant shredder
The pruning hooks
The loppers
The tutors
The wheel barrow
Mower blades
The pots
The planters
Also read: 15 essential gardening tools
How to disinfect tools?
First, pass a brush over the handle to remove all the elements that have remained on it, then clean it with a mixture of water and black soap before tackling the metal part.
Don't forget to go around the screws, in the crossings of the blades, even if it means dismantling the equipment completely if you are very careful.
With what products?
You can soak a cloth or cotton with 90° alcohol or methylated spirits then pass it over the cutting parts of the tools and leave to dry in the open air.
For containers (pots, buckets, etc.), you can remove the soil, stems or leaves remaining at the bottom then, with a sponge, wash the inside with clear water and white vinegar, then rinse with water. water and allow to dry (in the open air or with a cloth), before storing or stacking them.
For the stakes, a solution based on water and vinegar water will be finished after drying with a layer of Bordeaux mixture.
Trick
Install tools that are not used during the winter in a well-ventilated room to avoid humidity.