This year looks like a late autumn in the garden. Let us hope that it will not change overnight as it has done in the past few years. There are many things to do before preparing for the winter.

Take the time to check the handles of your gardening tools, sand any rough spots, and coat them with linseed oil or fresh paint to keep them looking new. Clean and sharpen hoes, shovels, hand trowels, and other digging tools to maintain the same edge angle as the new one. You can coat metal parts with a thin layer of oil or linseed oil to prevent them from rusting.

This is also a good time to sharpen pruning tools such as pruning shears, scissors, hand weeders, garden shears and trimmers. Most need to be disassembled to sharpen properly. Keeping the blade angles correct will ensure that they will behave like new next spring. Oil them before putting them away.

Repair all electrical equipment, and then put them in storage for use next spring. If you change the oil once a year, change the oil now-the old oil in the crankcase will cause corrosion if left over the winter. The deck of the mower should be cleaned to prevent mold and rust from shortening the service life of the machine. Sharpen the mower blades so that they are at the same angle and balanced as the new blades to avoid vibration during operation.

The biggest problem with electrical equipment is the gasoline left in the carburetor in winter. If there is a shut-off valve on the fuel tank, close it and run the engine until it stops, applying the choke when it starts to stall. Otherwise, empty the gas in the fuel tank (I use a manual suction pump), and then run the engine until it stops working. I use fuel stabilizer on all small engines unless it is included in the oil of a two-stroke engine. I learned about this 50 years ago as a small engine repairman when I was in school.

With more and more lawn and garden equipment being electrified, the same maintenance applies to sanding and cleaning. For the battery, it is best to take out the lithium battery and put it inside for the winter. If you have lead-acid batteries in any of your devices, take them out and store them in a garage or outbuilding, where you can install a trickle charger or battery manager every few months in winter.

Now is also the time to repair the snow blowers and make sure they are in normal operation before the first snowstorm. Check the anti-skid plate and bottom edge blade. If the bottom blade is severely worn, replace the bottom blade and it will also slip. I weld a new metal strip on my body every year; if you don’t have a welder or a good friend, look for a new one. Car polish on chutes and other surfaces helps remove snow.

Storing gas-powered equipment in a cold shed or garage may cause flying squirrel nests when you try to start. One trick I learned from old bikers is to buy a pack of the smelliest clothes dryer you can find, and stuff a few in each engine so that rats can go in and build their winter shelter. Remember to take them out before the start of next spring. If the nest remains inside, the air-cooled engine will overheat very quickly.

Before the weather gets cold, I'm going to grow garlic and clean up some late-ripening vegetables. By the way, does anyone need kale?

These local garden articles will be sent to you every week throughout the gardening season, but you can find gardening information throughout the year by clicking "Courtyard and Garden" on the University of Minnesota extension website www.extension.umn.edu, or visit our The Facebook page is located at www.facebook.com/Beltramiccountymastergardeners.

The local master gardener will answer questions via voice mail. Call (218) 444-7916 and leave your name, phone number and question.