Description
Maintaining a healthy garden not only requires commitment, but also sharp tools. Plants, just like humans, require regular grooming, and that is when a good pruning shear comes to the rescue.
They are used to remove the dead foliage, which helps the plant breathe and grow better than before. Let me walk you through this gardening tool and all the ways it helps your plants.
Pruning Shear: Introduction and Core Components
A Pruning Shear, also known as a hand pruner, is a gardening tool that is used to cut the damaged parts of the plants to promote new growth. Crafted with strong, durable steel, they are supposed to be stronger than regular home scissors and cut the stems more precisely.
Core Components of Pruning Shears
Mentioned below are all the different parts and how they come together to prune a plant.
| Blades | Ideally, there are 2 blades made of hardened steel lined up perfectly with each other. They are supposed to cut the stems. |
| Pivot | The central screw that joins the 2 halves together.
It has to be tight enough for the blades to work properly. |
| Spring | The spring is essential to open the blades after the cut is made. |
| Handle | The part that you hold in your hands, covered in rubber to reduce strain and prevent blisters. |
What is a Pruning Shear Used for?
Essentially, a pruning shear is used to trim the parts of a plant. However, this is used in several ways for different purposes.
- Trimming: The main use of a pruner is to remove the dead parts of the plants to promote new growth.
- Deadheading: This is the process of removing wilted flowers so that it does not damage the growth of the plant.
- Taming overgrowth: A pruner can be used to control the overgrowth of climbers like jasmine and make sure they grow in the right direction.
What are the Different Types of Pruning Shears?
Each type of pruner is designed to cater to the needs of different types of users.
- Bypass Pruners: The most common type, which has 2 blades that pass by each other. It is used for trimming live stems, without causing damage.
- Anvil Pruners: It has 1 blade pressing down on a metallic surface called an anvil, and it is used for cutting hard and dead branches.
- Ratchet Pruners: They are similar to the anvil pruners, except the fact that they let you finish a cut in several steps, making it ideal for weaker hands.
How are Pruning Shears Beneficial?
Pruning shears help a gardener control and manage plant growth, benefiting its overall health.
- Pruning shears are designed for comfort and make the process of pruning less time and energy-consuming.
- It helps promote new growth and prevents the spread of diseases within the plants.
- They are portable and compact. Hence, it can be carried and managed easily.
- Pruners can be used in agriculture for pruning and maintaining vineyards, and in harvesting to cut the stems cleanly, making them versatile.
User Reviews and Ratings
Taylor Adams: It has really sharp blades. The product was worth the purchase.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sam Paul: I purchased a ratchet pruner, and it was really easy to use because it lets you make a cut in several steps.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
George Turner: The pruner works perfectly. The handle is comfortable and easy to squeeze.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Can I use scissors instead of pruning shears?
It is considered ideal to use a pruning shear because they have more strength to cut thick stems than scissors.
How do you take care of pruning shears?
Maintain your pruning shears by disinfecting them after each use and applying oil to the moving parts for smooth functioning.
Can I prune plants at any time of the year?
The correct time for pruning varies from plant to plant. Avoid pruning them at the same time, and research the plant requirements.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.