- Let's start small -- with handheld pruners. They're used on plant stems that are less than 3/4" in diameter:
- The bypass pruner cuts in much the same way as a pair of scissors and works best on soft-stemmed plants.
- The anvil pruner has a curved blade. It makes a cut by forcing the top blade through the stem while the bottom part stays flat -- kind of like a guillotine. This type of pruner is best on tougher woody stems, as it tends to crush soft stems, leaving them open to disease and pests.
- Lop shears or loppers are generally used on small branches, anywhere from 1" to 3" in diameter. The long handles give you leverage to snap off those branches in one clean, quick motion.
- Hedge clippers -- whether the good old-fashioned kind or the electric version -- should be used for trimming hedges. One tip to remember when trimming hedges: make the top of the hedge narrower than the bottom. This way the bottom branches can get sun exposure and produce just as many leaves as the top.
- For bigger projects, pruning saws are a good choice. Their sharp teeth are designed to quickly saw through tree limbs that range from 3" to 5" in diameter.
Here's an important tip about pruning that many gardeners forget: whatever pruning tool you use, the blades must be sharp. You can either buy various sharpening tools and do the job yourself, replace the blades, or have them professionally sharpened.
To avoid spreading disease, it's important to wash the blades of your pruners after each use. If you believe the potential for spreading disease is high, go ahead and clean the blades by dipping them in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Then clean with soapy water and dry.
Finally, be sure to check with your local extension office on the best times to prune the plants in your area.
