In this edition
- Upcoming Events/Classes
- Autumn Garden Tool Care
- Mountain Crest Sharpening
- Pollinator Garden Update
- Master Gardener Program Info
About the Newsletter
The Master Gardener Volunteers of Douglas County provide horticulture education on gardens, landscapes, plants, pest control and other home horticulture-related topics. This newsletter of October 2023 is one of the may resources of information available to the public to help accomplish this mission.
Upcoming Events & Classes Fall 2023
Interested in learning more about the Master Gardener Volunteer Program? Join us for out monthly meeting! UNR Master Gardener of Douglas County meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. For more information or to RSVP contact Jessica Gardner @ 775-782-9960 or jessicagardner@unr.edu RSVP is required.May – October 2023 – Heritage Park Garden Q&A Sessions, Wednesdays @ 5:30-6:30 pm. Cost Free. Location: Heritage Park Garden 1461 Ezell St, Gardnerville, NV. Topics vary week to week. Welcome to All.
May – October – UNR Master Gardeners will be answering community horticulture questions every Thursday from 9-12:00 pm. Location: 1325 Waterloo ln, Gardnerville.
Interested in learning more about the Master Gardener Volunteer Program? Join us for out monthly meeting! UNR Master Gardener of Douglas County meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. For more information or to RSVP contact Jessica Gardner @ 775-782-9960 or jessicagardner@unr.edu RSVP is required.
University of Nevada, Reno Extension Douglas County Calendar
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Autumn Garden Tool Care
by Ingrid Angelini - UNR Extension Master Gardener Intern
Now that autumn has arrived, it’s time to think about all those garden tools you used this summer. They probably all need a bit of attention, such as inspecting, cleaning, renovating, sharpening, and storing over the winter.
You will need the following items to perform the task: a decent pair of safety glasses and gloves, a workbench with a vise (Vice grips or a serious C-clamp will do if you don’t have a vise.), bleach solution (10%) in a spray bottle, boiled linseed oil, lubricant oil or spray, a metal file, rags, sandpaper, steel wool, varnish, paint or stain and a wire brush.
Check axes, shovels, and hoes for nicks, and if found, place the tool into the securing device to free up your hands. File the edge in one direction, away from you for its entire path, maintaining the angle which is in existence. (Axes have a 30° angle while hoes and hovels are 40°. Remove any burrs on the back side with a light filing touch. Repeat until the edge is smooth. Cracked wooden handles may be replaceable. Cracked heads should be discarded.
Sharpening cutting tools, such as pruners, clippers or hedge trimmers also require securing on the bench. Some only need to be sharpened on one edge, the one with an angle. If that is the case, secure the angled section. Others may need to be disassembled to be sharpened. (Be sure to contain all the parts removed so they can easily be put back as they were.) The sharpening technique is the same as for shovels: following the angle, file away from you in one continuous stroke along the entire edge. Drawing along the edge with a marking pen and filing until the color is gone may be helpful.
To remove a little rust, saturate some coarse sand with clean motor oil or vegetable oil in a bucket. Dip the tool into the bucket several times and wipe away any excess. This bucket of sand and oil may be used all season for the storage of your hand tools.
Tools with stubborn rust issues may be soaked in white vinegar, then abraded with steel wool or a wire brush, or sandpaper. Wipe down the treated surfaces with oil to prevent further rusting.
Hinges require a spray or drop of lubricant to keep them operating smoothly.
Wash wooden handles with a wood soap, then wipe some boiled linseed oil. Allow to set for a while, then wipe off excess. Handles painted with a bright color are easily recognizable among the greens and brown of the garden. An oil-based or exterior paint adds to longevity.
Fiberglass, rubber, or plastic handles can be washed and dried.
Collect the rags and properly dispose of them to prevent spontaneous combustion from the chemicals and heat.
And don’t forget to treat the wheelbarrow, using the techniques described above!
Store tools in a dry place over the winter.
Mountain Crest Sharpening
By Lorna Doerr, UNR Master Gadener Volunteer Intern
The Summer’s operate a mobile sharpening business that is just right for those of us who don’t have the apparatus to sharpen our tools ourselves. I recently met Laura and Jonny at Lampe Park to learn about their company and I arranged to have two tools sharpened. They do take the large items to their shop, but 95% of their business is mobile. In fact, they prefer doing a meet up with customers. Jonny’s grandmother raised 13 children in Kentucky, and that is where Johnny’s father learned the skill of sharpening. How wonderful to keep this valuable skill going for its third generation! Besides gardening tools, they sharpen knives, lawnmower blades, hunting tools, beautician shears, tools for animal grooming, and dental tools. I learned that I could extend the sharpness of my tools by cleaning them regularly with a rag dipped in rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits. NEVER use soapy water and NEVER soak tools in water. In fact, the biggest mistake gardeners make is leaving tools out in the rain or letting them soak in water. Please visit their well-designed website for a pricing guide and more information on establishing a meet up. mountaincrestsharpening.com (775)235-2574 mountaincrestsharpening@gmail.com They would love to help our growing group of gardeners so please reach out to this energetic, efficient, and exceptional young couple!
Pollinator Garden – Douglas County Community Grant
By Jessica Gardner, UNR Extension Douglas County Horticulture Outreach Coordinator
In July of 2022, the University of Nevada, Reno Extension Master Gardener Program of Douglas County applied for a Douglas County Community Grant to install a pollinator garden and provide pollinator garden educational events for the Douglas County community.
Fall of 2022 and spring of 2023, UNR Extension Douglas County Master Gardeners developed and executed eight, in person educational events. These events included topics such as Butterfly gardens, Hummingbird gardens and basic garden design. Over 70 community participants were served and 262 research based fact sheets were provided.
After providing great education to our community, the Master Gardener Interns (1st year Master Gardeners) designed and installed a water wise, pollinator garden incorporating over 40 different low water, drought tolerant plants. This garden will provide more than just habitat for pollinators, it will be used as an educational tool and will also inspire future gardens in the Douglas County Community.
Kudos to the UNR Extension Master Gardeners of Douglas County.
Stop by and enjoy the garden anytime. See pictures for establishment timeline.
Spring 2022 UNR Exetension Douglas County Office Garden beds before they were converted to a Pollinator Garden.
Spring 2023 Volunteer Interns designed and planted a Pollinator Garden consisting of water wise and regions specific plants.
Summer 2023 Plants are slowly getting established.
Fall 2023 Full Bloom.
Master Gardener Program
Do you like to learn new things and share them with your community? Become a Master Gardener Volunteer in your community. Enrollment for classes opens in the Spring of 2024 and classes begin in August of 2024. For more information, please contact Jessica Gardner @ jessicagardner@unr.edu or 775-782-9960
We hope to see you in the garden!
