Waukesha County Home

APRIL 2016 HOMES PLUS 11 "Quality Conscious, Customer Focused… Every Job, Every Day" 7945 Harwood Ave. ,Wauwatosa,WI 53213 Office: 414.988.4565 www.milestoneplumbinginc.com *Must mention this ad. Only valid for first time customers. 2 4 9 4 5 0 0 0 5 No Trip Charge for First Time Customers * MP#998631 BRIGHTER CONCEPTS www.BrighterConceptsLtd.com 414-332-8865 Offer Expires 5/30/2016. *Call for details. 2 4 9 4 5 0 0 4 30 80 150 Ask About our 30% Tax Credit INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR PAINTING AND FINISHING HOME REMODELING CALL TODAY! 262-617-6988 249473005 For All of Your Home Needs For All of Your Home Needs 249450006 Visit-www.kcustomcabs.com Kitchen Cabinets New Construction & Remodeling Vanities Entertainment Centers Custom Built-ins kcustomcabs@gmail.com Brian Kehlnhofer, Owner 262.352.2177 249450003 of what we do is in some way relat- ed to aged fuel because the shelf life of gasoline is not what it used to be." He said every gardener has his or her own school of thought when it comes to storing equipment over the winter. "Some will pack it away and leave it at that. Others, being more proactive, will usually treat their fuel so it's being stored with fuel that is stabilized," he said. "The shelf life of gasoline we purchase locally has a rather short shelf life, no longer than 60 days," Nelson said. Over time, that fuel begins to break down and its flash point decreases as the most volatile com- pounds in the fuel evaporate. If too much evaporates, it will be diffi- cult, if not impossible, to start the engine. Don't forget your hand tools Once those engines are ready, then it's time to make sure your equipment's blades can make the cut. "The first step is cleaning the tools and inspecting them for loose handles or anything that is broken and needs repair or replacement," said Andy Yencha, senior land manager at Lynden Sculpture Gar- den. The next step is making sure the blades, such as pruners and lawn mower blades, are sharpened sea- sonally. "There are at least two things I think of as far as why sharper is better," Yencha said. The first is the cut. "When you're making 200 or so cuts in an after- noon, it makes for an easier cut and stays more comfortable," he said. The second benefit is plant health. "Sharp pruners will create a cleaner cut that is easier for the plant to heal and less exposed to disease or fungus," he added. Both ease of cut and plant health also apply to keeping lawn mower blades sharp. And it doesn't hurt to keep a mill file handy to keep those blades in optimal condition between seasonal tune-ups, he added. "A lot of people never touch up those edges," Yencha said. "But when you first buy them, whether it's a shovel or a hoe, you'll see they come with a sharpened edge designed to undercut the soil. Just touching up that bevel angle so it's back to shiny metal will give you better use and cut through the soil, weeds and roots so much easier." One last tip: Keep your tools clean. "Sometimes the problem isn't that the tools aren't sharp, it's that they aren't cleaned," Yencha said. "Plants have sap in them and when that dries on the blades or the springs, it makes them hard to operate. Just wipe them down reg- ularly with soap and water, or a 70 percent alcohol cleaner if you're worried about disease, maybe add some lubricant, and you're good to go," he said. With a little regular mainte- nance you can not only extend the useful life of yard equipment and keep both equipment and plants in optimal condition, your spring gar- dening chores are sure to be, well, less of a chore. Continued from Page 1 Submitted photo Don't neglect to prepare your tools for the work ahead. Sharper spring

• Cover