Ho, ho, ho! Snip, snip, snip! There’s no better gift for a gardener than a good, high-quality pair of pruners.
“Hand pruners are a gardener’s most basic and versatile tool,” said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. “You’ll use them every time you’re out in the yard. Even in winter, you can put them to use right away pruning dormant shrubs.”
As with all tools, it’s worth it to pay more for good quality. “The best pruners can be a bit of a splurge, but that makes them a nice gift,” she said.
Hand pruners are basically specialized scissors made for cutting wood. They are used to prune shrubs, snip out dead or diseased branches, cut back perennials, deadhead annual flowers and many other tasks in the garden.
“They’ll stay sharp longer if you only use them on plants,” Yiesla said. Find something else to open mulch bags or cut rope.
Well-made pruners will last a long time. A pair that fits your hand wells will require less effort and hand strength. If their blades are sharp, they will cut more easily and make clean cuts that are healthier for plants.
Pruners come in two major types: anvil and bypass. “Gardeners should choose bypass pruners,” she said.
The difference is in the arrangement of the blades. Anvil pruners have one straight blade that closes against a flat surface, like a hammer hitting an anvil. They grab and crush branches and are often used by landscape contractors to remove large amounts of dead wood.
Bypass pruners have two curved blades that move past each other like the blades of a pair of scissors. They slice rather than tearing or crushing, making a clean wound that is less likely to admit diseases and will seal up more quickly. A sharp pair of bypass pruners will cut branches up to about one-half inch in diameter.
Beware of pruners priced at $12 or $15. “Cheap pruners are flimsy and dull and won’t last,” Yiesla said. “They probably won’t be comfortable to use.”
Decent pruners can be found in the $25 to $40 range. At the high end, professional-quality tools can cost $50 to $80. Because they are made of durable materials and can be taken apart for cleaning and sharpening and replacing parts, these pruners can last for decades.
They also come in a range of sizes and handle designs to fit a variety of hands. There are even left-handed models.
Comfort is important with pruners because they are used so often and sometimes for long periods of time. A pair that isn’t right for a gardener’s hand can be awkward to use. With heavy use, an ill-fitting tool can raise blisters or make hands ache.
When you buy a pair of pruners for a gift — or for yourself— make sure it will be returnable even after it is removed from the packaging, so the gardener can try it out to see how it feels.
If your gardener already has good pruners, consider a pair of bypass loppers. These are large-bladed pruners on 15- to 24-inch-long handles that extend the gardener’s reach and provide more leverage to cut larger branches.
Or, choose a pruning saw. A folding saw with a 7- or 8-inch blade, which typically costs $20 to $35, cuts larger branches than hand pruners or loppers. “It will handle the largest branches a homeowner ought to be cutting,” Yiesla said. Look for a saw with replaceable blades that cut on both the pull stroke and the push stroke to make the job faster and easier.
Spend another $10 on a little something more to tuck in the package: a small diamond file or pruner-sharpening tool so the gardener can touch up pruner blades’ cutting edges. “Sharp tools are always better for plants and for gardeners’ hands,” she said.
For tree and plant advice, see the online resources of The Morton Arboretum at mortonarb.org/plant-care, or submit your questions online at mortonarb.org/plant-clinic or by email to plantclinic@mortonarb.org. Beth Botts is a staff writer at the Arboretum
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