WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE TRIMMING AND PRUNING THIS SPRING
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The growing season is here and it’s time to get those plants and shrubs back in shape. If you’ve got the motivation to give your greenery a tune-up, but aren’t sure where to start, or which tools to use, we’ve consulted with some experts for advice.
For starters, every gardener should have a basic set of pruning and trimming tools, says the horticultural team from the University of Alberta’s Botanic Garden. Those include pruning shears, loppers for bigger branches, gloves and a good sharpener.
Pine Tree Tools Gardening Glove
Prior to doing any shearing, a good pair of gardening gloves is a must-have to protect against sharp branches, needles and accidental nicks. And because they are made from bamboo, this pair keep hands cool. The snug fit ensures they stay on properly and the rubber palms allow for easy grip.
According to the horticultural experts we consulted, there are certain steps to take to get those bushes primed for new growth.
Once that snow melts and you’re ready to head into the yard, says Len Chambers with the U of A team, follow three basic steps.
“First thing is, take out the three d's – dead, diseased and dying.”
He adds: “What you want to do in spring, if you are doing any trimming or pruning, is get rid of any dead material in there.” That means cutting off any dead, rotting or noticeably diseased leaves or branches.
Gonic 8
These uber-popular and inexpensive shears are good for all-around pruning and clipping. Users love the ergonomic handles and praise their ease at cutting through thicker branches.
Klezhi Electric Pruning Shears
If you are doing a large area or have tons of branches to trim, it make sense to go with battery operated shears. This pair comes with two rechargeable lithium batteries and the charge lasts up to eight hours.
The U of A team also advises to “never leave any stumps,” as they will re-shoot new growth, or die back.
Instead, use pruning shears to cut stems back to the next lateral bridge, says horticulturalist Barry Greig.
That will ensure that any new growth is not impeded.
Chambers recommends shears with a bypass blade, where only one side needs sharpening.
“If you sharpen both sides, you will ruin it -- only sharpen that one edge, not the side with the beveled edge. A lot of people do that and then wonder why it isn’t cutting but just pinching.”
Fiskars 9109 Traditional Bypass Pruner
The blades on this bypass trimmer are hardy steel with a coating on one side that allows it to move swiftly through both thin and thick boughs.
SHARPAL 105N Multipurpose Pocket Garden Tool Blade Sharpener
The team also advises keeping tools sharp for the best trims. The Sharpal sharpener, made of durable carbide, can be used on a variety of garden and trimming tools including pruning shears, hedge clippers and other implements, to ensure they retain a crisp, clean edge.
For shaping hedges or bushes, horticulturalist Chambers suggests hedge clippers.
TABOR TOOLS B620A Hedge Shears
These steel-handled hedge clippers are perfect for shaping hedges, topiary or any other “take a little off the top” jobs. The wave-shaped blade allows for precision cuts, and users liked the fact that they are extendable depending on the amount of reach you require. The amount of tension can be adjusted by a flower-shaped knob in the middle of the tool.
BLACK+DECKER BEHT150 17
Or, for a large job, go for an electric trimmer. Just plug in and neaten up a whole length of hedges in half the time with this Amazon’s Choice Black + Decker trimmer. Lightweight, it features a 43 cm-long blade which can reduce fatigue on wrists and arms.
Jardineer 2
And for getting at higher branches requiring a longer reach, loppers will do the trick, say the U of A horticulturalists. Reviewers raved about these relatively inexpensive but heavy duty and long-lasting loppers, which have an extended reach. The loppers are made to trim branches up to six cm in diameter and come with an extra blade. Says one purchaser: “These are outstanding! This is what you would want if you own an orchard or have some serious work to do.”
Horticulturalist Duncan Giedelhauf says it’s also important to clean tools thoroughly between uses.
“For the biosecurity of your plants, you would want to clean your pruners – the best practice is after every cut, but definitely when moving between plants. That can be done with a disinfecting solution, or wipe them clean, then spray with rubbing alcohol. Let it dry to kill any spores that might be lingering.”
Method antibacterial spray
While there are many sprays on the market, this one kills 99.9 per cent of germs while containing no parabens or phthalates and instead uses five per cent citric acid as a cleaning agent.
When it comes to this type of yard work, the experts recommend some general rules.
Because Canada contains numerous growing zones, check with your local garden centre on which shrubs to cut right back and which to trim slightly based on your location.
“In terms of perennials", says Giedelhauf, “the best practice is to leave them alone in the fall and then cut them back in spring, when snow is gone.”
The reason for doing that, he says, is that this allows plants to winter with leaves that have fallen around the plant, which protects it and keeps it insulated from the cold. The plant stays insulated and retains moisture.
Meanwhile, there are some other basic guidelines.
“There general rule of thumb is, if it blooms in spring, you don’t want to be chopping it back in the spring, or you are going to miss out on those flowers,” says Giedelhauf, for example, with bushes such as lilacs.
“Those ones, you want to be trimming later on in the summer, when they are not blooming,” he says.
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