How to Sterilize Gardening Tools

Pruning shears transfer disease from unhealthy trees to healthy trees.

Sanitizing garden tools is good practice even in a healthy environment but becomes critical when disease is present. Pruning is the most common way of transferring disease from one plant to the next, but shovels, garden forks and other tools also can spread soil-borne microbes from one area of the garden to the next. Sanitize garden tools in the fall before putting them away to get a clean start on the next season and between projects when working with a diseased tree, shrub or area.

Things You'll Need

• Stiff bristled brush
• Bucket
• Detergent

Instructions

1. Clean all dirt and soil from the garden tools. As tools age the steel gets pitted. Scrub out all traces of dirt before sanitizing.

2. Find a bucket large enough to completely encompass the tools' steel parts -- shovel blades, fork tongs and pruning shear blades.

3. Mix a solution of 80 percent warm water and 20 percent household detergent; lysol works well, does not corrode tools and is relatively safe to handle.

4. Dip each garden tool into the solution, making sure all parts of the blades come into contact with the liquid.

5. Set the tools on a clean, dry surface to air dry. Put tools away when dry or use them in the garden.

Tips & Warnings

• Read the warning labels on detergents before handling and wear gloves to protect hands and skin.

References

• Washington State University Puyallup Research: The Myth of Cloroxed Clippers
• North Dakota State University Extension: Plant Disease Management in the Home Garden