Sharpen up

Shears, forks, spades

• Invest in a fine metal file and a stiff wire brush.
• Remove rust with the wire brush, and sharpen your blades with the file.
• Always finish off by wiping your garden tool with an oily rag this will help prevent the return of rust.

Knives, secateurs and hoes

• Buy a sharpening stone and apply a small amount of general purpose oil to lubricate it.
• You will probably find your own sharpening technique but moving the blade up the stone and then pushing down as you move it to the side does the trick. If you then turn the blade over and, so that it’s almost flat to the stone, pull it across the surface. This will remove and roughness or imperfections.
• Wipe the blade with an oily rag.

Ofcourse there are garden tool sharpening devices available which often can make the job much easier!