Killing diseases on your garden tools
Garden tools and plants are expensive. It is important you take care of both and try not to get plant materials that are infected in your garden in the first place!
One of the most, if not the most famous botanist in the world regarding shade perennials and in particular hostas is W. George Schmid. He has authored such scholarly books as, “The Genus Hosta” and “Encyclopedia of Shade Perennials” and is a frequent contributor to “The Hosta Journal” and other scholarly works. I asked George recently if he had seen any studies regarding how long to disinfect garden tools, which is increasingly important to prevent the spread of foliar nematodes and other garden diseases. Here is what George wrote:
“To really disinfect your equipment, it must be very thorough. Brand new tools you can dip, but most of have those old, well used tools. For those, use 1 part chlorine bleach to 10 part clean water solution. It is important to wash the dirt off your equipment prior to soaking your equipment in this solution for at least 10 minutes to ensure that all microbial agents are killed.
Soaking in either a 1-to-5 solution of chlorine bleach or a full-strength Lysol or Pine-Sol brought the most consistent protection, as shown in tests conducted by UGA. Just dipping the blade quickly often did not disinfect properly. Chlorine bleach generally did a better job for quick dips, although none of the disinfectants proved 100% effective when using quick dips. So soaking is recommended in all cases. Tools have sometimes microscopic scratches that can contain air bubbles, which will prevent contact with the solution. Soaking overnight is most effective.
Although chlorine bleach is the least expensive and generally most effective disinfectant, bleach does corrode tools when used frequently. It also can splash up and ruin clothes. Lysol caused the least damage to clothes and tools.”
Tom Carlson, owner of this blog and of HostasDirect and IDealGardenMarker adds, “If you leave your tools in these solutions too long you will get corrosion, and possibly lots of corrosion. So, the trick is to soak as long as needed but not much more. Then, wash the tools with water and wipe it dry or let it air dry. Plain water will rust tools very fast as well. There is one preventative solution. I know this sounds like a commercial but we have found our plated Hosta Trowels that we sell on our web site do not corrode and they work fantastic for any type of gardening – in particular hostas. The plating keep any steel from being exposed to the chemicals or water.
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