Basic tools and recommendations
No matter what size of pruning job you're tackling, play it safe
and use the right equipment for the job. This will make the work easier and more effective.
You should:
- always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from flying bark or branches
- always wear leather or thick canvas gloves to protect your hands from cuts or scrapes
- use well-sharpened tools. This will simplify the job and help avoid accidents.
Moreover, a clean cut with no jagged edges will help the tree or shrub heal properly.
- disinfect tool blades with 70% ethyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) after pruning each plant
to avoid transferring any possible diseases from one plant to another. Removing any sticky
sap from the blades will make them work more smoothly and make the disinfectant more effective, as well.
- never touch any tree or branch that is in contact with a hydro line and stay at least 3.5
metres away from all hydro lines.
Main pruning tools
A hand secateur or pruner is the ideal tool for precision work and for pruning
small branches less than 2 cm thick. There are right- and left-handed models.
A long-handled pruner or lopper will give you better leverage for pruning or
cutting through branches up to 4 cm thick. It is also useful for getting at branches
that would be hard to reach with a hand pruner, as in the centre of a shrub.
A long-arm pruner or pole pruner is just that, a pruner on a pole. It is useful for reaching
high branches or thinning the crown of a tree without a ladder. It can cut through branches up
to 4 cm thick.
Pruning saws come in different models and have different sizes of teeth. The finer the
teeth, the smoother the cut. You can use a pruning saw instead of a chain saw for cutting branches
and deadwood. Some models can even be attached to a pole.
Hand shears are used for shaping new growth on a hedge or shrub, while the wood is still soft.
They are also useful for trimming grass and twigs.
Keep all your tools clean and sharp. Clean and oil them regularly to prevent rust. This will make them easier
to handle and they will last longer.
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