Using the Right Gardening Tool

Using the right tool will make gardening much smoother and enjoyable. Pruning jobs are faster if the right size tool is used to cut the branch.

Using the right gardening tool

Too often I start a garden job, only to struggle in completing it. A case in point was last weekend when I decided to trim back some trees that were hanging over the driveway and getting snared in the car window. This seemingly simple job was made longer when I decided the best way to deal with the problem was to lop off the whole branch, followed quickly by a decision to cut the whole tree down - it was a small tree. Each of these jobs required a different tool: lopper, small saw, chain saw. Without the right tool, the job would have taken a lot longer to finish. So it is useful to note that when a tool is used for the right job, it makes the job fast and easy. Trying to use that tool for the wrong job will cause frustration and time wasting. Alas human nature seems to dictate that we try to push a tool into doing something it was not meant to do and struggle until we finally give in and buy the right one. So as a quick guide:

Clippers: Small shears used to clip blooms and flowers for indoor arranging.

Pruning shears: Hand held pruning shears should feel comfortable to hold and use. Trim side shoots and small shrub branches with these. Note they come in anvil style (where the base is flat and the upper blade smashes down onto it) and Bypass style (where the blades both slice past each other. Use for branches less than one half inch. Most experts recommend using bypass rather than anvil shears.

Loppers: Long handled shears that are meant to remove small branches from trees and larger shrubs Use for branches up to one inch diameter. Loppers with extended poles can also be used to branches that are high up. Use caution with these lest the branch falls onto you.

Tree Saw: Small serrated saw. The blade usually folds into the handle for storage. Light weight saw that will remove branches up to two inches.

Chain Saw: removes bigger branches. The diameter is dictated by the power of the saw itself.