Pruning Equipment

It is important to choose the correct pruning tools to complete the job at hand. It will make the work safer, easier and save you time and money. Small hand pruners should only be used to cut branches the thickness of your little finger. For branches up to 1 in (2.5 cm), the best tool would be the lopper. Remember: the longer the handles, the better the leverage. Out of reach cuts can also be made with a long handled pole pruner, but the more the pole is extended the harder it is to prune. Whenever possible use a ladder with the pole pruner, this will enable you to get higher up into the tree without extending the handle all the way. When selecting hand pruners, loppers, or pole pruners choose the by-pass style, where the blade passes by the cutting block, similar to a pair of scissors. This allows a nice clean cut to occur, which helps the healing process. When the cut is larger than one inch in diameter, a pruning saw or bow saw can be used. Pruning saws cut on the pull stroke which helps when reaching upward to do the cut. Extendable pole pruning saws are also available. For very large branches, a chainsaw would be the tool of choice, but must be used with extreme caution, and proper safety equipment. For certain pruning jobs it may be best to use the services of a cerified arborist.

If you are pruning hedges, there are manual, gas, and electric hedge shears available. For small jobs manual hedge shears work great and are much easier to sharpen. For larger jobs, electric or gas shears will save you time. Gas shears are much more powerful and versatile, however are not as easy to service or sharpen. One thing to keep in mind when pruning a hedge is that the bottom of the hedge should be kept wider than the top of the hedge, as this enables sunlight to reach all the leaves, and to prevent die-back and thinning from lack of light and air circulation.

Safety Equipment

Basic protection for all pruning jobs includes: gloves, sturdy footwear, long sleeved shirt, pants, a hat, but most important is a good pair of eye protectors to keep pruning cuttings, and debris out of your eyes. Always wear ear protection when operating a chainsaw and electric or gas hedge shears. With chainsaws you should also have protective legwear, such as chainsaw pants, and steel-toe work boots. Proper knowledge on using a chainsaw should be obtained before using this equipment.

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