The Four Tools You'll Need:
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Hand Pruners:
For twigs and
branches a ½ inch or less in diameter, use hand pruners. Look for
models that cut with a scissors action, such as the one shown here.
Don't use them on thicker branches, or you'll bend the blades and they
won't cut cleanly anymore.
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Loppers
Pruning branches that are from ½ to 1½ inches
thick calls for loppers. These combine large, sturdy scissors-type steel
blades with long handles to help you gain leverage. Rubber shock
absorbers between the handles keep you from rapping your knuckles
together as you cut.
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Pruning Saw
Cutting thicker branches requires a pruning saw. I
prefer one with a thin, curved blade from 12 to 20 inches long with
three-sided teeth. It cuts quickly on both the push and pull strokes and
can fit into tight spaces between branches. Don't use a regular hand
saw. After a couple of minutes with barely visible results and a lot of
cussing, you'll see why.
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Telescoping Pole Pruners
Is there a branch needing pruning that's
too high to reach from the ground? Don't even think of sending your man
up into a tree with a saw unless you're certain you're in the will and
his assets exceed his liabilities. Instead, have him use telescoping
pole pruners. These consist of a fiberglass or wooden pole with either a
saw blade or slicing blade at the top. Some models have both.
"Telescoping" means you can extend the pole anywhere from 10 to 14 feet,
giving you much greater reach.
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"Around Your Garden" is from the December 2007 issue of Southern Living.
