It's pruning time of year!  Having the right pruning tool will help you get your job done easier and it's certainly easier on your plants and trees!  Weather it be a hand pruners, snips, saws or loppers! 

Hand Pruners should be used for smaller, easy to reach branches. The most popular hand pruner is the by-pass pruner.  It's function is like scissors, making slicing cuts.  This type of cut is very clean making it perfect for pruning tender stems of fruit trees, ornamentals and all living plants with small branches. Hand pruners will generally cut branches up to 3/4 of an inch with ease.  While some of us have to push the bar....Felco 13 is a monster hand pruners that can be used with two hands (great for large hands) and cut branches over 1 inch in diameter.  A person with small hands might like the Felco 12 pruning shears.  It has a smaller cutting head making it easier to reach tight, dense areas and has a slightly smaller grip.  Small handed people love Felco 12 bypass pruners for its rotating handles, which helps with fatigue.  Anvil pruners cut as cleanly as bypass pruners, but they only have one blade that hits a block.  You will find that this type of pruners is loved by rose growers.  Felco 31 anvil pruner has beveling on both side of the blade and has a non stick block for easy cleaning.

Loppers should be used for medium sized or hard to reach branches. Loppers are considers two-handed pruners for better leverage to cut branches 3/4 to 2 inches in diameter.  Larger branches should be sawed off.  Use loppers for trees, shrubs and vines or prickly plants. Felco 200A-40 Lopper is only 16" long, making it perfect for precision cuts of prized rose branches deep into the plant.  Look for longer handled loppers for fruit and ornamental trees like the Felco 200-50A or larger. When used correctly and kept sharp, these loppers will last a lifetime. 

Pruning saws are perfect for large branches.  What orchard is complete with out a good pruning saw.  Felco pruning saws have durable, non-slip handles with hard chrome plated blades and very sharp teeth to rip through branches quickly.  Our favorite is the Felco 600 pruning saw.  It's safer to carry and gets the jobs done loppers won't do.  It has a 6 inch blade, cutting up to 4 inch in diameter.  For bigger jobs, use the Felco 611, cutting branches up to 9 inches.  Felco 611 also come with a protective holster with a belt attachment. Saws should be pulled to cut, rather than pushed against the branch.

Snips are for the more tender jobs like plants and flowers. The small things!  Lettuce, herbs, cut flowers and deadheading perennials. Keeping a pair handy, hanging on a post near the garden will ensure you to get those little jobs done quickly.

Sharp, clean blades are essential for straight, healthy cuts.  When blades are clean and sharp, they cut smooth and effortlessly.  Clean cuts heal healthy and faster.  Cuts that have jagged edges, allow insects and disease to enter the tree or plant and take more time to heal. Simple sharpening can be done at home with a good sharpening stone.  Felco 903 sharpening stone is our favorite stone.  It's easy to use and can sharpen any Felco pruner, snip or lopper.  Felco 902 sharping ceramic stone should be used to fine sharpen between maintenance sharpening.

Keep it Clean! Felco 980 lubricant protects your pruners metal from corrosion and waterproofs it.  Spray it on and wipe it clean to protect and help prevent the spread of disease from plant to plant, tree to tree. 

We have used Felco brand tools for over 15 years.  We trust the quality and the endurance of each tool.  And believe me, we have used and abused many different brands in our business!  We wouldn't want to use anything else but Felco brand Pruners, Loppers and saws!