After spending the summer outside enjoying the beautiful weather and the yard, it is now time to think about the coming winter and store all the gardening equipment: tools, equipment, pots, etc. If you want to retrieve everything in good condition come spring, there are a few guidelines to follow.
Before storing hand tools like shovels, trowels, or hoes, they need to be cleaned to prevent rust formation:
To ensure your cutting and pruning tools remain in good shape, they need to be well cared for. Fall is a good time to do this since, come spring, you'll need them quickly to get your garden back in production mode. Make sure to keep them handy, especially if you have fruit trees to prune while snow may block the shed door.
Your lawn mower has worked hard all summer. Make sure to give it a good cleaning and prepare it well if you want it to be ready to resume work in the spring.
You had several potted plants during the summer and wonder what to do with the containers during winter? It all depends on their composition, but some need to spend the winter indoors, others can stay outside but should be emptied of their contents, while a few can remain as-is and pass the winter gently. Generally:
When the season ends and you prepare your land for winter, you end up with a good amount of soil. Throw away or reuse? If you have space to store it on your land, you can keep and reuse it next year. If not, you can compost it. However, since plants have drawn nutrients from it all season, if you decide to reuse your soil, you'll need to enrich it with compost and fertilizer. Also, if any of your plants had a disease or if your soil is contaminated by a fungus, your soil is also affected, and the problem will return next year. Be very cautious if you choose to reuse your soil.
Your vegetable gardens, flower beds, and lawn also need to be prepared for winter. To learn more, read our articles:
By being well-prepared, your garden tools and accessories can make it through the winter smoothly and come back to life quickly in the spring. It just takes a little time!
Clean Your Hand Tools
Before storing hand tools like shovels, trowels, or hoes, they need to be cleaned to prevent rust formation:
- Rinse them with water and scrub with a brush to remove all the soil.
- Scrub small rust spots with steel wool to make them disappear.
- Grease the metal parts and store in a dry place.
Clean and Sharpen Your Cutting and Pruning Tools
To ensure your cutting and pruning tools remain in good shape, they need to be well cared for. Fall is a good time to do this since, come spring, you'll need them quickly to get your garden back in production mode. Make sure to keep them handy, especially if you have fruit trees to prune while snow may block the shed door.
- Clean the blades with rubbing alcohol to disinfect them and prevent the spread of diseases.
- Sharpen the blade with a stone or wheel, or have it done by a specialized company.
- Grease the blade and lubricate the mechanisms with oil.
Store Your Lawn Mower
Your lawn mower has worked hard all summer. Make sure to give it a good cleaning and prepare it well if you want it to be ready to resume work in the spring.
- Empty the gas tank by letting it run until it stops during your last mowing of the year.
- Change the used engine oil and replace it with new oil.
- Remove all grass residues stuck to the blades and inside your mower to prevent rot. Always tilt your mower backward, not sideways: this could damage the mechanics.
- Check the blades. Dull mower blades can cause injuries to grass blades, making them susceptible to disease and other pests. Have your blades sharpened at least once a year.
- Store your mower in a dry place. Ideally, avoid leaving it outside under a tarp.
Store Your Pots, Planters, and Balcony Boxes
You had several potted plants during the summer and wonder what to do with the containers during winter? It all depends on their composition, but some need to spend the winter indoors, others can stay outside but should be emptied of their contents, while a few can remain as-is and pass the winter gently. Generally:
- Ceramic, stoneware, and terracotta pots should be emptied, cleaned, and stored indoors. Cold and frost can cause them to crack.
- Plastic, metal, and wooden pots can spend the winter outdoors, but their lifespan will be impacted. If possible, empty them and place them in a sheltered area, but not necessarily frost-free, like the shed.
- Concrete pots are heavy and therefore difficult to move. They can winter outside just fine, but empty them of their contents. Soil containing water will expand with frost, risking cracking the pot.
- Fiberglass or resin pots are very durable. There's no need to empty or move them indoors for winter. Your best choice if you have little storage space or if end-of-season laziness sets in. More expensive to buy, but truly durable.
What to Do with the Soil?
When the season ends and you prepare your land for winter, you end up with a good amount of soil. Throw away or reuse? If you have space to store it on your land, you can keep and reuse it next year. If not, you can compost it. However, since plants have drawn nutrients from it all season, if you decide to reuse your soil, you'll need to enrich it with compost and fertilizer. Also, if any of your plants had a disease or if your soil is contaminated by a fungus, your soil is also affected, and the problem will return next year. Be very cautious if you choose to reuse your soil.
And the Plants?
Your vegetable gardens, flower beds, and lawn also need to be prepared for winter. To learn more, read our articles:
- Fall Lawn Maintenance
- To Prune or Not to Prune? That is the Question
- Prepare Your Roses for Winter
- What to Do in the Garden Before Winter?
By being well-prepared, your garden tools and accessories can make it through the winter smoothly and come back to life quickly in the spring. It just takes a little time!
Tips and advice
