When I celebrated my birthday in the summer of 1985, I received many gifts relevant to the beginning of my college career later that same year; luggage, school supplies, etc. Then my father presented me with a small package which was too heavy to be the keys to my 1985 Buick Riviera. It was actually a new set of Corona pruning shears, which was probably the best quality garden tool I will ever acquire. I never got the car.

Unlike most ’85 Rivieras, these shears gave impeccably reliable service for 15 years until they were finally retired last year. The replacement set was identical except for the word “Japan” stamped in one of the handles, and that it was more worn after about three months than the others were after 15 years. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find quality tools.

Another problem with acquiring garden tools as the selection of those most suitable to their intended uses. Lawn tools and cultivating tools are not variable to confuse consumers, but to be functional for a variety of work. Each different tool has it’s specific use. Pruning tools are probably the most misunderstood and commonly misused. Many are specialized for very specific uses.

Hook and blade shears (hand shears) are likely the most important of the pruning tools employed in home gardening. When pruning, it is best to keep the blade toward the subject plant, with the hook toward the part being pruned off. This is done because the pressure of the stem against the hook may damage cambium. It is also easier to get closer cut with the thin blade than with the bulkier hook. The hooked shape helps hold stems firm while the curved blade slices through, rather than chops.

An option to hook and blade shears which I do not recommend is the anvil shears. Anvil shears have a straight blade on one side and an “anvil” on the other. The anvil is only wide and long enough to accommodate the blade and works much like a chopping block. As the blade presses a branch against the anvil, a bit of the cambium is crushed. Half of the crushed tissue leaves with that which is pruned off, but the other half remains on the stem which was just pruned. Another problem is that the straight blade of anvil shears can slip off branches which are too large.

Hook and blade shears are also known as “bypass” shears since the blade bypasses the hook. For larger branches which require more leverage on the blade than can be applied to hand shears, lopping shears, or loppers, may be employed. Loppers are simply larger shears with long handles. Anvil loppers are also available, but the gripping quality of the hook and blade shears is even more important with larger limbs.

Fruit shears are another specialized form of bypass shears. The blades are straight like those of the anvil shears and there are two blades rather than just one. They actually work like scissors with paper. They easily cut small stems but lack the hook used to hold larger stems. Their slender shape is easier to use in tight or delicate areas, such as clusters of grapes or small flowers. Even more specialized flower shears hold the stems of flowers as they are cut.

Hedge shears are probably the most commonly misused pruning tool. They are designed with long handles for leverage and a pair of long, bypass blades for cutting many small stems at the same time. They are useful for formally sheared hedges composed of plant species with small, dense foliage. They should not be used for everything that becomes overgrown and too large. Plants which are sheared when they require proper pruning will likely present problems later on.

The worst offenders are the “mow, blow and go” maintenance “gardeners”. Their motorized hedge shears operate more like beard trimmers than any of the conventional pruning shears and are used on just about everything. One of my clients who had her orange tree sheared into a semi-spherical shape and several Japanese maples hedged into cubes recently told me that it looks like “Edward Scissorhands works here.” Correction of such abuse can be very involved and is not always possible.