New Home Owner

Pruning Part 1: The Tools You Need

Share |

Posted in Yard Care 101

Man Pruning Pruning trees and plants will make your yard look better while also improving plant health and growth. In this article, we'll discuss the tools to have on hand to prune more easily and correctly. In part two in the next newsletter, we'll discuss when and how to prune.

The tool you'll use depends on the size of the branches you will trim and the amount of pruning you will do. As with all lawn and garden equipment, buy the best quality you can afford and then be sure to maintain the items as necessary.

  • Hand Pruners are small pruners used to cut stems up to about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. There are two types: bypass and anvil. Bypass pruners are a good choice because they have curved, scissors-type blades that overlap, making a clean, even cut. Anvil pruners have a straight upper blade that cuts down on a flat lower "anvil", which can crush stems rather than cutting cleanly.
  • Lopping shears function like giant pruners. Their long-handles provide leverage and reach to trim branches on bushes and trees up to about one and three-quarter inches in diameter. Look for bypass blades on loppers.
  • Pruning saws are used to remove branches that are too large for the loppers. This saw comes in various lengths with jagged teeth that also can vary in depth and how far apart they are spaced. To handle thick branches easily, choose a longer saw with the fewest deep teeth per inch. Average jobs (branches about two inches in diameter) can be handled easily with any quality-pruning saw.
  • Pole trimmers give you the reach you need to trim tree branches overhead that are up to about one-and-a-half inches thick. As their name implies, most pole trimmers consist of a pole up to about 12 feet long (telescoping or set) with a bypass lopper (controlled by a rope) and a small bow saw at the top.
  • Flower sheers are small garden scissors with wide steel blades that make clean, precise cuts. They are perfect for "cutting" flowers for a bouquet and trimming dead leaves and very thin branches from perennials.
  • Manual hedge clippers have long blades that help you cut evenly and long handles that give you the reach you need for hedge trimming. Some people prefer manually trimming their hedges because this method is more forgiving than other trimmers where mistakes can happen quickly.
  • Chain saws are used for removing branches greater than three inches in diameters to felling trees. Before purchasing a chain saw, consider exactly what you will use it for so you purchase the right size. The longer the blade length, the bigger job it will handle. Keep in mind that chain saws are serious power equipment. Safety must be top of mind at all times.

Read more about Pruning in Pruning Part 2: When to Prune and How to Do it.

Was this Helpful? Yes(6)





Articles by Topic

Follow Yardsmarts

RSS