Association Meeting Minutes August 2019

Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association

4 hours ago

VCE Publications: Garden Tool Care, by EMG Stacey. While you're waiting for the weather to cooperate with gardening chores, you can get caught up on tool care you might have missed in fall.Properly maintained tools are safer and more efficient, and taking a little time now will improve your gardening experience in the coming months.Inspect your tools for needed repairs: Shovel and spade tips may need sharpening, and their handles may need treatment. Trowels may need cleaning. Pruners may need sap or rust removed, blades sharpened, and worn-out parts replaced.Some tools may have outlived their life or may not be ergonomic or easy to use. Rather than risking injury from using them, consider replacement. Research brands online and then visit nurseries and suppliers and test the quality and how the tools feel in your hands before purchasing.Get more information in "Hand Tools Safety: Lawn Care Training Guide - Hand Tool Care and Safe Use" at resources.ext.vt.edu/contentdetail?contentid=2251&contentname=Hand%20Tools%20Safety:%20Lawn%20Car.... Click "Preview" to read on screen and then click "Download Version" to print or save to your computer.If it's time for "more power" in your tools, check out Lawn Care: Powered Hand Tool Safety at www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/BSE/BSE-41/BSE-41NP.html.Pictured are my pruners after a hard season of poor care. I've since learned better!Virginia Cooperative Extension offers extensive research-based information you can read for free online. Each week we'll highlight #VCEResources publications you can use in your own garden. See future posts at #NSVsharesVCE. You can also visit the VCE Resource Website at resources.ext.vt.edu/ (which is replacing www.pubs.ext.vt.edu). You'll find most of what we'll share in "Lawn & Garden." ... See MoreSee Less

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