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Pruning Tips and Tricks

These reader insights will have you pruning like the pros




We have compiled these nine pruning tips that will help you to start gardening positively. Pruning is a job, but with these helpful tips, you can get it done in no time. Learn time savers, functional applications for your discarded branches, good practices for tools, and more! If you need basic information on how to get started, check out this guide to trim all things.


1.  Paint tools to find them easier


I put my tools down in the garden for a moment and get lost while walking. Inspired by the vermillion grips of my hand pruners, I draw brightly colored strips around the handles of my tools as soon as I buy them. Any bright color that is green or does not mix with the soil is easily detected from a distance, and my tool shed is very happy!


 2. Barbecue tongs


Protecting my hands and arms from thorns is not easy when pruning my roses. The heavy-duty gloves I tried were not flexible enough and made it difficult to use my pruners. Now I use regular gloves, but I use a pair of long, metal barbecue pliers that hold the branches securely but gently with one hand while I trim the other.


3. Bargain pruners



I have a wide variety of hand pruners, but I find a pair of light-duty tin snips that are far superior to pruners for daily gardening maintenance. They are lightweight, easy to use, and fit easily in my pocket. Their price is also low, so when I (inevitably) lose them, I do not regret it.


4. Use pruned branches as border edges


When I prune my trees, they always end up with many branches that are of no use to me. I cut them 10-inches long and drive them to the ground in my walkways and garden beds. They create attractive edges and last for many years. I used old boards for the same effect.


5. Mark the cane roses before pruning


It may take a long time for all of our climbing roses to be ready to be pruned. When I choose which canes to prune, I put a piece of cloth on each one and remove it. This helps me to quickly find the cane again when I mow. Dresses painted with bright neon paint are especially easy to spot.


6. The cut branches will become plant supports



When pruning shrubs, I look for any abandoned branches that can be trimmed to form a V at the tip. Later in the season, I use these branches as a plant support for weak stems or flowers that lean towards the light. I stick the tip of the branch in the soil and allow it to rest on the stem V of the floppy plant, so no string is needed to hold the plant in place. I sometimes place several of these supports sides by side to create a support ring around an entire sliding plant, or shorten the bases and use the edge of the garden bed to remind the dog to stay out.


7. Bruner wipes


Frequent disinfection of prunes is important, especially when handling roses. Instead of wrapping a bottle of alcohol and some paper towels around me, I carry a separate bag of alcohol wipes. They are easy to use and easy to carry.


8. Mow instead of prune


If you grow a perennial red raspberry bush, you can avoid pruning it altogether. Some gardeners find satisfaction in the fall from the year-old cane of the plant and prune the plant in late winter. This eliminates the large summer crop that may come from the cane next summer, but it will take less time than pruning. In the spring, new stems appear and bear another autumn crop, and the cycle repeats itself. If you decide to go this route, wait until the plant is at least three years old so that the cuttings can tolerate stress well.


9. Cleaning sap from pruning saws


Using a pair of scissors on the greenwood will often clog the teeth with sap and sawdust. Accumulated debris interferes with the cutting process, increasing the effort required to cut a joint. The debris will seal the moisture next to the steel, promoting rust.



Removing sticky residue is very difficult, but there's an easy way to do it. Apply the spray-type oven cleaner to the mess on the teeth and let it soak for a few minutes. (Wear gloves when working with the stove cleaner, and avoid inhaling toxic fumes.) Then brush the dissolved saffron with the old toothbrush. Wash the wood in water, dry, and spray with a little penetrating oil. The next time you cut your saw will be ready to cut again.

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Location: United States

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