Buying Guide
Best Pruning Tools for Your Plants
Pruning is heavy work and involves repetitive motion, so finding the right tool is very important.
Tip: Use larger tools like loppers and saws to remove large tree branches.
Related Products
Types
There are three basic pruners:
- Anvil Pruners. Features a single straight blade that uses a splitting action to cut down on a stem or branch.
- Ratchet Pruners. Similar to anvil pruners, but features a mechanism that cuts in stages. Works well for people who have problems with wrist strain.
- Bypass Pruners. Acts like scissors with two curved blades that make a nice, clean cut. Works well on green and growing stems.
Pruning Tips
- Cut diseased stems back to where the healthy wood starts
- Disinfect the blade between cuts with bleach and water when pruning diseased plants
- First cut off dead branches at the base when cutting shrubs or trees
- Cut just above the leaf bud on the outside of shrub branches
- Get rid of branches growing at narrow angles to main, vertical branches
When to Prune
- Prune shrubs that flower in the springtime after the blooms fade off
- Prune shrubs that flower in the summer during spring
- Prune rosebushes after the last spring frost
- Remove dead wood from trees in the summer
- Pruning a tree’s form is best done after leaves fall
Tool Selection
Consult the chart below to learn about available tool types and their applications:
Comparison of Tool Types
Description | Recommended For | |
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Anvil Pruner | Dead twigs and branches Diameters of 5/8" or less Examples: rosebushes, hydrangea, butterfly bushes |
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Bypass Pruner | Live stems and branches Diameters of 5/8" or less Examples: rosebushes, raspberry bushes, lilacs, snipping flowers or herbs |
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Hedge Shears | Hedges and small shrubs, evergreens, deadheading perennials Diameters of 2-1/4" or less Examples: any kind of hedge shrub |
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Lopper | Medium to large branches Diameters of 2-1/2" or less Examples: fruit trees, vines, nut trees |
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Pole Pruner | Dead wood out of trees Diameters of 1-1/4" or less Examples: any kind of tree |
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Pruning Saw | Medium to large low-hanging branches Diameters of 1-1/2" or more Examples: any kind of large shrub or tree |
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Tree Pruner | Smaller tree branches -- eliminates need for ladder Diameters of 1-1/4" or less Examples: any kind of tree |
Features
- Grass Shears. Look like heavy-duty scissors and are used to trim grass around trees, flower beds and shrubbery.
- Pruning Saw Blades. Come with different style blades to help attack a wide range of different branches.
- Power Shears. Operate using gas or electricity and make hedge trimming easier and quicker.