Use the Right Hand Pruners For the Job

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A major part of gardening is the maintenance and upkeep of established plants. Although watering, mulching and aerating are all important tasks the task of pruning the maturing shrubs and trees must be performed each year. For some trees this is a vital part of the growth process to promote a bushy habit.

Pruning is considered an art by some people with the ability to control the way a bush is going to grow in the hands of the person holding he pruners. There are different types of hand pruners available that can be used for different tasks. Using the wrong type of pruner could result in your plant getting damaged or risk disease starting.

For the most precise cuts that are going to cause the least amount of damage to healthy green stems you should use a pair of bypass pruners. These blades of bypass pruners should be honed and sharp so that a clean cut is made each time they are used. Bypass pruners are used to cut soft wood.

A more heavy duty type of pruner is the anvil pruners. These pruners consist of a cutting blade on top that closes on top of a more solid blunt blade. Anvil pruners or anvil pruning shears are used for cutting larger, woody stems and small branches. If these pruners are used for pruning green stems you run the risk of crushing the outer layer of the plant, damaging it and creating a greater potential for disease to start.

Ratchet pruners are used for cutting dead and woody twigs and branches. These pruners work by building up the force that goes into the cut as the blades work their way through the hard material. A set of ratchet pruners come in handy for those who are unable to apply the force required to properly cut stems.

Another type of hand pruner that has been designed to assist those who have hand problems such as arthritis are pruners designated as ergonomic pruners. You will usually find that the cutting head of these pruners are slightly offset to assist the operator in getting to the angle they require to make the cut. The handles are also curved in such a way that they will fit more comfortably into the hand.

No matter what type of hand pruners you use, make sure that they are always sharpened and that they are suitable for the task that you are performing. If you must, buy one of each of the different types of pruners so that no matter what job you have to perform you will have the correct tool ready.