There's time this month to do the prep work before the planting and growing season gets going.

March may find you sighing with impatience as you watch yet another snowfall cover your barren container boxes, but it's one of the most important months for gardeners.

There's still time to do all of your prep work, from honing tools to starting seeds, as you imagine the shapes, tastes and colors of your next garden. Spring begins with the vernal equinox on March 20.

Tool cleanup
If you didn't do so in the fall, it's time to give your lawn mower and other tools some tough love.

Get ahead of the spring crowds by dropping off your lawn mower now to have the oil changed, bolts tightened and blades sharpened.

Remove soil from your tools' metal parts using sandpaper or a hose.

• Sand rough edges on wooden tool handles, then coat them with linseed oil.
• Sharpen your tools. A file will sharpen tools of all sizes, from shovels and hoes to trowels and clippers. A Carborundum wheel will work on smaller tools. Pruning shears can be sharpened with a whetstone. After sharpening, use a rag to apply a thin, penetrating oil to metal tool parts; follow with a heavier oil on tools that have moving parts.

• On our blog, 'Listed': Woman goes to jail over messy yard

Lawn doctoring
The green, green grass of home doesn't get that way by accident, and March is a perfect time to assess your lawn's health.

• Pluck a 4- to 5-inch square from your yard to see what's going on down there. If your area has crane flies, count the larvae. Fewer than 35 per square foot means less work for you: Your lawn should be able to withstand that number.
• If you're not sure what to look for, take your lawn sample to an expert at your garden store and ask for a diagnosis; then just press your sample back into its "bed."
• Lime, treat moss and, finally, reseed as needed. (Overseeding can be done after midmonth.)
• Fertilize your lawn now or start a new lawn using seeds or sod.

Read more here: http://ht.ly/9yLMA

In the past few years small engine repair shops have been reporting an increase in problems with outdoor power equipment and landscape tools, such as leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and string trimmers. The culprit? Ethanol-blended gasoline.

Ethanol is a solvent that contributes to the deterioration of rubber gaskets, plastic nozzles, and aluminum — parts and materials common to small engines. Although heavy use and age contribute to wear and tear on internal components, ethanol speeds up the process.

In addition, ethanol contributes to deposits in fuel lines and carburetors, blocking fuel flow and causing engines to refuse to start.

In low concentrations, ethanol isn’t especially harmful to small engines. E10 ethanol blend, which is made up of 10% ethanol, is considered acceptable.

However, the EPA recently approved higher concentrations that are readily available at many gas station pumps: E15, a 15% blend, and E85 made for flex-fuel vehicles.

The reasoning, of course, is commendable: Using higher concentrations of domestically produced biofuels reduces gasoline consumption and yields better mileage for vehicles. Large, modern car and truck engines are designed to run ethanol-blended gas.

These higher concentrations, however, can wreak havoc on small engines. Small engine manufacturer Briggs & Stratton, for example, voids the warranty on its power equipment if you use gas with a higher concentration of ethanol than E10.

And E10 itself isn’t completely off the hook. Ethanol combines easily with water, meaning that it tends to grab and hold onto any moisture lingering in cans and fuel tanks. The result is an uneven fuel mixture that contains water — a bummer for engines.

The problem occurs when fuel cans and equipment containing old gas are left sitting around for months – chances increase that ethanol has made the fuel mixture potentially hazardous to your leaf blower and chain saw.

The potential frustration – and cost – to home owners is considerable. Briggs & Stratton estimates there are more than $50 billion worth of lawn mowers in garages all over the country.

Want to protect your investment, and avoid trips to the repair shop just when the leaves are falling? Here’s what to do:

• Use clean, fresh unleaded gasoline with a minimum of 87 octane.

• At the gas pump, check ethanol ratings carefully. Don’t use gas with a blend ratio higher than 10% (E10).

• Change fuel frequently. Gas that’s been sitting around for more than 60 days should be replaced with fresh gas.

• Gently slosh fuel containers to remix gas before adding fuel to small engines.

• Add a fuel stabilizer to your gas mixture. Ask your equipment dealer to recommend a product that’s formulated to reduce water absorption caused by ethanol gas.

• When storing equipment, such as your lawn mower over the winter, run the engine dry. Buy fresh gas next year.

Have you had a problem with your gas-powered leaf blower or trimmer? Was ethanol the culprit?