Winter is a fantastic time to be pruning, and whether you're performing a haircut or major surgery, having the right tool for the job will make the process much easier for both you and your plant.

Bypass Secateurs & Loppers

  • Use bypass secateurs for small trees and bushes, and bypass loppers for thicker branches and high areas.
  • Operate bypass secateurs like scissors - the sharpened blades should pass each other.
  • Bypass secateurs and loppers will provide a clean cut, which assists your plant in sealing the wound and recovering quickly.
  • Be sure to keep them clean and razor-sharp.

Anvil Secateurs & Loppers

  • Designed for grunt work. Use an anvil blade to cut fallen branches into manageable pieces, or to shorten a branch before removal.
  • Uses one sharp blade to cut and crush against it's 'anvil' side.
  • Less likely to jam, and will grab and hold (making it ideal for high branches).
  • Always be sure to make your final removal cut with bypass blades or a pruning saw. Anvil blades tend to leave a messy wound behind, inhibiting your plant's ability to heal.

Pruning Saw

  • Use a pruning saw on branches that are too thick for your bypass or anvil loppers to handle.
  • Use a fine toothed saw blade for small branches and a coarse toothed saw for larger branches.
  • The pruning saw provides a nice clean cut, so it is ok to use as a finishing cut when removing a branch.

Safety First

Don't forget, pruning can be dangerous work, particularly for high and thick branches. If you are concerned by the size of a pruning job, we always recommend calling in a qualified arborist. Not only do they have the right tools, equipment and experience to tackle it, but they have insurance too!

Find out more about our Professional Tree Services here.