Dormant pruning of various fruit crops is often done after the coldest parts of winter have passed, and before bud break begins, allowing enough time to finish the total acreage. However, from now until the time you start pruning, it can be a good time to take inventory of your current pruning tools to take note of what tools you have and their condition.
In this article, we’ll discuss various tools that can be used for pruning dormant perennial fruit crops, how to best care for them, and what to do if serious corrosion happens.
Pruning tools
Hand shears and loppers:
Hand shears/pruners: Also referred to as secateurs in some parts of the world, this tool can be used to cut smaller diameter branches up to 3/4-1 inch. For shrubs and vines, hand shears can be the primary tool used in pruning. Hand shears come in a variety of options: manual, ratcheting, electric, and pneumatic.
Loppers: Loppers look similar to hand shears, but they have very long handles with a blade that can prune large branches up to 1.5-2 inches in diameter, although some can surpass this and cut through larger branches. Loppers work well for a majority of pruning maintenance with fruit trees and larger branches on shrubs and vines.
Similar to hand shears, loppers also come in electric, ratcheting or manual types, and some models have the ability to extend their handles.
Anvil vs bypass hand shears and loppers: Both loppers and hand shear blades can be designed with either an anvil blade—where the top blade cuts through the branch until it hits the bottom blade—or as a bypass blade, in which the top blade is sharp and slices through materials, but it moves past the bottom blade upon finishing a cut. Bypass blades are considered to have a cleaner cut, whereas anvil blades can “pinch” the branch as they pass through, making bypass blades ideal for pruning on a large scale.
Other considerations: Specialized attention has been given to pruning tools over the years. Some handles are designed to be more ergonomic, and there exist small pruners that work well for small hands—although they typically also have a smaller blade. Even left handed bypass pruners exist, which means the bevel, or slope of the blade, is positioned to the right of the blade.
Saws:
Pruning hand saw: There are a number of different saws that could be used to take out larger branches on trees, or perhaps a dead or unproductive grapevine trunk; however, the hand saws most referred to for dormant pruning have a slightly curved blade, larger jagged teeth, and usually have a folding mechanism to make for easy transport.
Pole saw: Manual pole saw blades look similar to handsaws, but are installed onto a pole, for which some models offer an extendable pole option. Pole saws can be manual or electric, where electric pole saws look similar to a mini chainsaw. Pole saws work well for taking out full branches, or removing branch parts that are large and positioned high up within a fruit tree canopy.
Note: The above tools come in a wide variety of prices, which can relate to the blade quality, whether it’s electric, and aspects related to caring for a tool (e.g., can it be taken apart, or can parts be replaced?)
If you’re just starting out and in the process of selecting tools, consider what individual needs you might have special to your fruit production operation!
Blade materials for hand shears and loppers
Carbon steel: is a metal alloy of iron, carbon, and a small amount of other elements. A number of brands make carbon steel blades, which is high performing and does well when properly stored and cared for (see sections below). This material is susceptible to corrosion when exposed to moisture and plant sap.
Stainless steel: is also made from iron, and at least 1/10 of its composition comes from chromium, although it can contain other elements, including smaller amounts of carbon. Stainless steel has the advantage of being more resistant to rust (think about your kitchen knives, pots, and pans), but it tends to be softer than carbon steel and may need to be sharpened more often.
Coated steel: Coated steel has an additional coating material like titanium. Although coatings can wear off over time, this helps to protect against rust and corrosion. While coated steel blades can be sharpened, users should take care to avoid damaging the coating.
Caring for tools
Sanitizing and cleaning: Tool sanitation becomes increasingly important when pruning out diseased branches like for when a fire blight outbreak occurs in an apple orchard. The University of Minnesota Extension has written a larger article, “Clean and disinfect gardening tools and containers,” that goes into more detail about this topic, but in general good disinfectants for cleaning pruning tools include diluted bleach, 70% rubbing alcohol, and products that contain the active ingredient .1% alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium saccharinate (e.g., Lysol disinfectant). Avoid using vinegar as this can contribute to rust for susceptible tools.
For a more routine, thorough cleaning, it’s ok to wash pruners with soap and water to remove any plant sap, or other materials that may have built up (other solvents can work for this purpose too). In this case, it’s becomes more important to lubricate tools after cleaning.
Sharpening blades:
Loppers and hand shears:
If blades are rust-free, you can start by sharpening pruning blades on hand shears and loppers with a sharpening block, or something similar. If your pruning tools have low to moderate rust, use steel wool to brush the rust off before sharpening.
Tools that can be disassembled, should be for regular maintenance—this makes it easier to get to all parts of the blade.
When sharpening, pay attention to the sloping bevel. Bypass blades are single beveled, whereas anvil blades are double beveled. Go with the natural bevel angle (10-20 degree angle), and do not try to create a bevel where one does not exist.
Finally, go in one direction, over and over again, when sharpening rather than going back and forth.
Saws: While it’s possible to sharpen pruning hand saws and pole saws, this should only be done when there is an issue, such as bent or damaged teeth, where individual attention can be given to each problem tooth.
Oiling and lubricating: Oiling and lubricating blades can help prevent rust, post-cleaning, and is critical care for tools with carbon steel blades. Pruning tool companies have a range of lubricating products that are light and work well, but WD-40, linseed oil, and oils designed to lubricate bicycle chains can also work. The key is to maintain a light coating on the blade, as well as any bolts, cogs, or springs.
Image: A progression of treating carbon steel hand shears that were subject to serious corrosion. This process is labor intensive and may not be worth it depending on the degree of damage and the original cost of the tools. Blades in this scenario were stripped of corrosion using a wire brush and filing attachment on a drill, followed by careful attention with hand wire brushes, and a final lubricant application.
When serious corrosion happens:
While carbon steel is high quality, its weakness is rust and corrosion with improper storage conditions, and increasingly so when plant materials like sap are left on tools in moist environments. For serious corrosion conditions, metal parts can actually fuse together, making disassembly and replacing parts a nightmare.
For this level of corrosion, tools can be conditioned, but will never return to their original condition. Refurbishing in this scenario requires more energy input than hand tools can provide, and a wire brush or filing attachment can be used initially to take off the corrosive layer.
Resources:
Clean and disinfect gardening tools and containers (University of Minnesota Extension)
How to clean and sharpen gardening tools (Kentucky State Research and Extension)
Author, photos, and graphics: Madeline Wimmer, UMN Extension fruit production educator
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