Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gardening

The best tree pruners you should make room for in your toolshed

Cayla Leonard
By

Pruning your tree can be a difficult job, but it’s often necessary for maintaining your tree’s health. Pruning can help keep disease and fungal infections from spreading, limit pest damage, increase airflow, and increase the size and amount of fruit or flowers. Figuring out which branches to prune is one thing, but actually cutting through them is another. Having the right tool for the right job makes pruning your tree so much easier, but how do you know what the right tool is? That’s where we come in.

Why do you need different pruners for different projects?

Technically speaking, many tasks can be accomplished with the same tools, and pruning is one of those tasks. There are plenty of gardeners who own a single pair of loppers, or one electric hedge trimmer, and use that tool for every pruning job. That does, technically, work. Those tools will cut almost any branch, but they aren’t necessarily the best fit for every job. Having an incorrect tool can lead to harder work, as you strain to chop through a thick branch with a tool that isn’t designed for it, or damaged plants, with incorrect tools potentially leaving uneven or jagged edges instead of clean cuts.

Large pruning shears cutting a tree branch
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Best pruners for tall trees

While you may be able to reach some of the lower branches from the ground, there’s a good chance that you won’t be able to reach every branch that needs to be pruned. You can climb up your tree with your pruner, but that can be dangerous, especially if you aren’t experienced, don’t have someone nearby to help if needed, or are climbing a tree with dense branches, reducing visibility.

Recommended Videos

Your best, and safest, option for tall trees are pole pruners or pole saws. As the name implies, these pruners consist of a saw at the end of a pole. They come in a variety of lengths, so you can be sure to find a pole that matches your tree. You can choose between a manual pole saw, which ends in a blade like a hand saw and is used by physically moving the pole up and down to saw through branches, or an electric pole saw, which ends in an electric saw and can be corded or battery powered.

Related

Best pruners for thick trees

Depending on the thickness of the branch and the angle of the branch in relation to you, you have a few options. If the branch is close to you, then a pruning saw is your best option. Pruning saws are curved, specifically to make them better at sawing through tree branches. They can cut through smaller branches easily, and, with some effort, can cut through thicker branches as well.

If the branch is slightly above you, or at an angle where using the saw would be awkward, consider using loppers instead. The long handles of the lopper helps you apply more force to branches, making it easier to cut through thicker branches. The long handle and more sleek shape also make it easier to prune branches that are in a cluster with other branches or are otherwise within arm’s reach but difficult to get to with a saw.

Hands in yellow garden gloves pruning a small tree
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Best pruners for shrubs and small trees

For shrubs and small trees who have branches less than an inch in diameter, hand shears are the tool of choice. There are two main types of hand shears, anvil and bypass. Anvil shears have only one blade, with the other side being flat. The flat side acts as an anvil, with the blade holding and crushing the branch against that anvil. Bypass shears have two blades, like scissors or loppers. This allows the bypass shears to cut the branch neatly and cleanly. Since anvil shears are likely to crush branches, it’s better to use them on dead or dying branches, while bypass shears are a better fit for healthy, living branches.

Now that you know what the best pruner is for your tree, you’re ready to tackle any pruning project or trimming task. As always, safety is important. If you plan on climbing your tree or pruning from a ladder, do so carefully and have someone on hand to help out if needed. If you’re cutting branches over your head, keep a keen eye out for falling branches. It may be a good idea to invest in a protective hard hat, too. No matter which tool you’re using, be sure the blade is sharp and keep your hands and fingers clear of it.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Cayla Leonard
Cayla Leonard
Contributor
Cayla Leonard is a writer from North Carolina who is passionate about plants.  She enjoys reading and writing fiction and…
Choosing the best grass seed for your lawn – what you need to know
Factor in these tips when deciding on grass seed
Manicured Bermuda lawn

Growing grass from seed is an affordable way to start a lush, healthy lawn. But you need to start with the right seed. What is the best grass seed? It depends on where you live, the conditions in your yard, and how you ultimately want the yard to look. Cool-season grasses give a soft, deep green appearance, while warm-season grasses are known for dense green growth and uniform tan coverage in winter. There are several kinds of each to choose from. Read on to learn how to choose grass seed for your unique situation.

1. Choose cool-season or warm-season grass
Cool-season lawn grasses grow best when daytime temperatures are in the 60s and 70s, and night temperatures are in the 50s. They are primary choices for northern landscapes, where they look great from right after the snow melts in spring until the first hard freeze of fall. In the lower Midwest and upper South, these grasses offer an evergreen alternative to the warm-season grasses that go brown in winter. Cool-season grasses suffer damage during extended and extreme heat and drought and must be reseeded periodically to repair damage.

Read more
Make sure your hydrangeas have the best blooms by pruning them properly
The right way to prune hydrangeas
Purple and blue hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are beautiful and interesting flowers. They change color based on the pH of the soil, making them a unique and fascinating addition to most gardens. They’re easy to grow and propagate, make wonderful cut flowers, and can even be grown in containers. If you want to add them to your garden, then you'll need to know how to prune hydrangeas. Although cutting a plant can be intimidating, it's surprisingly simple once you know what to do. This comprehensive guide will help you get started.

Why would you want to prune hydrangeas?
To keep your garden space looking beautiful, it's a good idea to stay on top of pruning your hydrangeas. Hydrangeas can grow fairly quickly, averaging a growth rate of 2 feet per year. Pruning your hydrangeas helps you shape your bush and remove dead or crossing stems.

Read more
6 popular magnolia tree and shrub species for your yard
At least one of these will fit in your yard or garden
Closeup of a southern magnolia flower

Magnolias are beautiful, long-lived trees and have many wonderful species. Although they’re well known throughout the South, magnolia trees can actually grow anywhere. There is a magnolia tree for any garden or lifestyle, from dry weather to cold weather, big to small, and with a wide variety of flower sizes, shapes, and amounts. These stunning flowering shrubs and trees will look lovely in your yard. No matter what type of magnolia you’re looking for, one of these six is sure to be a good fit. Here are our six favorite magnolia tree and shrub species for you to try.

Star magnolia
Star magnolias are stunning shrubs or small trees with white or pink flowers. They are among the hardiest magnolia species, being resistant to cold, as well as pests and diseases. However, it's not a drought-tolerant tree. This magnolia species is most suited for zones 4 through 9, and it's among the earliest blooming magnolias. You can expect to see tons of flowers in early spring or occasionally even in late winter! Although not the smallest magnolia species, they are relatively small, growing to between 15 and 20 feet tall. Star magnolias can grow in containers, but they may require extra pruning to keep them smaller.

Read more