Pruning Tools For Everyday Garden Projects

Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 4:36 pm

pruning tools

It is important to have the right pruning tools before you attack the trees, shrubs and plants that need pruning in your yard. Using the right pruning tools is better for the plant, and it's better for the tools as well, because you'll be using them properly.

Here is a quick rundown of the different types of pruning tools you might need, depending on the plants in your yard.

Hand Pruning Shears: These little shears are good for cutting branches up to half an inch in diameter. They are great for pruning small shrubs, cutting roses to put in your bouquet, harvesting vegetables and a bunch of other uses. They are small enough to be worked with one hand, and there are two main choices when working with hand shears.

Scissor Shears, as the name suggests, have two blades that are both sharp, though one is thicker than the other. The anvil shear has one sharp blade and one flat blade. The choice is up to you, though scissor shears are often a little more expensive; some say they work better, too.

Lopping Shears: If you have a lot of cutting to do, lopping shears are the way to go. These shears have long handles and must be operated with both hands. Pulling the handles apart pulls the [blades] apart; pushing them back together closes the shears and lops the offending branch. Different lopping shears can handle different diameters of branches, but all loppers should be able to handle half-inch branches.

Pole Pruners: If you're trying to cut a branch above your head, a pole pruner may be what you need. This tool is a long pole like a broom handle with a curved blade attached. These tools are often operated with the help of a rope that is thrown over the branch for leverage.

Pole pruners can be rather expensive and they are a little dangerous, because the person doing the cutting is right under the branch he or she is trimming. If you have a lot of large limbs that need to be removed from trees, it is probably better to get a yard service or professional tree trimmer to do the work for you. That way you can be assured that the job is being done right, and you won't have to worry about dropping a limb on yourself.

Other Pruning Tools that might be helpful, depending on your situation, are hedge trimmers and a chainsaw. A hedge trimmer makes it a lot easier to get bushes trimmed to the same size and shape, while a chainsaw can make short work of large limbs that you have cut from a tree.

Neither of these tools are vital for the beginning gardener, or for someone who doesn't have a lot of bushes or trees. But if you have need for these tools, you will be so glad that you have them when you need them. They are tools of convenience that will make those annoying maintenance jobs so much easier, leaving you time for more enjoyable things like resting in the hammock under the trees!