I'm curious about how often everyone disinfects their pruning tools like pruners. I usually clean and disinfect them about once or twice a week since I use them regularly on multiple plants. However, I've come across advice from experts suggesting that you should disinfect your tools after each plant, especially if there's a risk of disease. While I understand the caution, it seems a bit excessive to me. What do you all think based on your own experiences?
3 Answers
I’ve got a system where I lightly clean my pruners with soap and water for each group of herbaceous plants, usually in clumps of 3 to 5. It seems like overkill to disinfect after every single one, especially if they’re all close together. For bigger, woody plants, though, I clean them for each individual one.
Honestly, I rarely disinfect my tools. I only clean them after working with my fruit trees since that's when I feel it's necessary. For other plants, I just don't think it's as crucial.
I generally disinfect my tools whenever we replace them, since they come cleaned and ready to go. But I can see how frequent cleaning would be important if you're dealing with plants known to have issues.