Spring Cleaning- The Tools of the Trade

It's that time of year folks! waking the greenhouse up and getting ready for another growing season! Today I want to share how I save money and re-use some of the equipment from years before. How many of you go to the garden centers and buy flats of pretty flowers or your veggie starts? And what do you do with those flats and myriad of pots from all those purchases? Throw them out, recycle them, sneak them into a neighbors yard?

Well, if you don't live close enough to me to donate them why not re-use them yourself. Just a few steps and you are ready to go. I start with first collecting all the pots and flats in various parts of the garden, shed, or wheelbarrow. I then fill a bucket, tub or whatever you have with some water and a couple of splashes of bleach. I grab a scrub brush and a chair. Throw the pots and flats in, a few at a time and let them soak or get to work. I swish them around, scrub any stubborn stains, swish again and set out somewhere clean to air dry. You are basically removing any crusty salt stains and debris, and also sanitizing against any soil bacteria or pests you don't want to pass along to new plantings.

ATTENTION!! Eye protection and rubber gloves should be worn by persons who are known to splash bleach water in their eyes or plunge their hands with cuts on them into afore mentioned bleach water! That's it. Quick and easy and your planters look like new.

I also use the leftover wash water to clean any pruning tools, shovels, saucers,etc. At this time I also sharpen any tools that need it and shove the hoes and shovels into a bucket of sand with some motor oil from the last oil change. This also cleans and keeps the rust away. I will continue other Spring activities in coming up blogs. Have fun!