With November lurking around the corner, it’s time to put the snow shovel in a handy place and start retiring the tools of summer.

Don’t hurry that process too much.

You can still dig and plant. You can still cut things back. The rake is nowhere near being retired for the season.

Eventually, however, you will need to tuck those babies in for a long winter’s nap if you want them to serve you well next season and the one after that.

Every time you lop, chop or trowel, ask yourself whether you will use that tool again before the snow flies.

If the answer is no, clean it up and put it away.

Here’s a handy checklist:

Clean dirt from metal parts. Give the surface a dry scrub with a stiff metal-bristled brush and then plunge it a few times into sand moistened with motor oil. Tips: Any stiff-bristled brush or scouring pad will work in a pinch. I keep the oil-sand mixture year-round in a spare plastic bucket and do the plunge routine whenever I think about it throughout the growing season. Cover the bucket between times so it doesn’t collect dust.

Sharpen edges. Dirt Cottage has a couple of ancient metal files and I do a dozen angled swipes on a spade’s cutting edge and one or two on the other side. Tip: Some tools don’t need sharpening, but most heavy-duty digging tools will work better next spring if you give them a fresh edge.

Oil moving parts. The hinges of pruning shears and loppers can get rusty and hard to use if they get moisture deep inside. Tip: I use a quick shot of WD-40 in each joint and have been known to imitate the Tin Man’s “Oil can” mantra while doing so.

Winterize wooden parts. Scrub with a stiff brush and go over lightly with fine sandpaper. Tip: I follow the exfoliation with a good massage. Pour a little linseed oil on an old rag and work the oil into any cracks.

Store tools. The idea is to get them off the floor and away from moisture. Tips: Get long nails and hammer them into studs in the garage and then hang most tools on the wall. If you have a nicer garage than mine, go to your local hardware store and pick up something fancier.

I don’t usually hang up long-handled tools that get only occasional use. They are dumped into a spare trash can with their business ends up.

Double duty. That snow shovel makes quick work of leaves, particularly if you want to escort piles to the end of the driveway. Rather than storing the square-edged shovel for the winter, I put it in my car trunk for digging out of snow drifts. Ditto for a pair of heavy leather garden gloves.