| Gardening can involve lots of pruning. Instead of | | | | as I use them so much. |
| just grabbing whatever remotely appropriate tool | | | | Loppers - these are very similar to hand pruners |
| it helps to know, as well to own, the right tool. It | | | | except they have much longer handles and give |
| is worth buying good pruning tools, even for the | | | | more leverage and cutting power for when you |
| casual gardener, and certainly for the serious one. | | | | are cutting something thicker. Mine have wooden |
| Here are the main tools I use. | | | | handles. |
| A pruning saw - I love my pruning saw, a gift | | | | Hedge clippers - very useful for when for edges |
| from my wife. It gets the least use among my | | | | such as flower borders and hedges, these are |
| pruning tools, but is the right tool for older and | | | | long bladed scissor like pruners |
| thicker branches as well as most dead branches. | | | | A Sharpener of some type - either a file or a |
| It folds for storage and transport, and the blade is | | | | sharpening stone is essential. Sharp blades work |
| safely covered when it's folded. | | | | better and are far less likely to injure a plant, just |
| Hand pruners - these have short handles and | | | | like a sharp knife is less likely to squish a tomato. |
| curved blade and are my workhorses, They give | | | | It is important to care for your garden pruning |
| a very clean cut and are unlikely to crush below | | | | tools as well. I store mine inside and oil the blades |
| the cut. I actually have a couple of pairs of these | | | | and moving parts often. |