Both literally and figuratively, gardeners often have their hands at the end of the gardening season when it is the best time to cut back woody plants. Pruning rejuvenates hedges, trees, and shrubs, allowing them to spring back with strong growth, plentiful flowers, and dense foliage. However, the open wounds left on branches can be an entry point for rot and fungal diseases. As such, it’s important to ensure a clean cut by using the right pruning tool.
Hedges, trees, and shrubs are more than just attractive garden design elements – they also provide a habitat for animals, particularly birds. In some countries, it is not allowed to trim hedges and shrubs to allow birds to nest and raise their young . However, gentle shaping and maintenance pruning in summer, and even hardwoods can be trimmed with ease if you have the right tools at hand.
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Powerful, precise cutting
The GARDENA secateurs’ powerful cuts are ensured by the precision-ground blades made of high-quality steel and designed to provide a precise and clean cut. The sap drainage design makes it easier to perform many cuts before cleaning of the tool is required. Depending on the model, the cutting or grip width can be set for different cut sizes and for different hand sizes. A buffer between the handles also protects the wrist. The single-handed safety lock ensures that the secateurs can be easily closed and stored after use.
The GARDENA secateurs’ range consists of cut sizes from 18 mm to 24mm providing variety for any garden size.
Loppers for hardy branches
A lopper is an essential tool for pruning dead and diseased branches as well as overgrowth on trees and shrubs. Towards the end of Summer, some trees may seem overgrown and need to trim back to keep its shape. The GARDENA Pruning Lopper is designed either with the bypass or anvil cutting principle. All loppers features non-stick coated blades, which provides a clean, precise cut every time. Anvil pruners are the best option for cutting dry and dead wood, while bypass pruners provide a clean and precise cut when working with green wood.
Hedge and Tree Maintenance
Manual hedge clippers are ideal for the targeted pruning of shrubs and hedges. Regular trims allow these plants to flourish and produce dense foliage. The crowns of fruit trees should be shaped to promote the optimal growth of the fruiting branches. Young fruit trees should be pruned annually, while older ones only need a maintenance trim every few years. Telescopic tree and pruning loppers are the answer for gardeners looking to easily tend to tall and dense trees – while keeping their feet firmly on the ground.
Strengthening plants to protect animals
Special care should be taken when pruning conifers and other evergreen plants, as birds’ nests hidden among their branches can be particularly difficult to spot. Saving some of the pruned wood can also help make the garden more hospitable to visitors: birds can use trimmed twigs to build their nests, while larger branches make excellent hedgehog hotels. Anything left over can be chipped and added to the compost heap, where it helps support soil health by breaking down into nutritious humus.
Pruning hard to reach areas
GARDENA SlimCut Pruning Lopper is perfect for pruning in thick or dense undergrowth. The very narrow head of the lopping shears reaches narrow places allowing you to thin out overgrowths without any hassles. SlimCut lopper is designed with telescopic handle making it suitable to reach dense bushes and shrubs. The 2 gear system can be shifted from a 1:12 transmission for thick branches to a 1:6 transmission for quick cutting of thin branches. Integrated gear transmission provides more power when cutting thicker branches. Th adjustable ErgoTec aluminium handle makes it comfortable to use with less impact on handles and wrists.
Whether for gentle shaping or for pruning back, using the right tools at the right time of year supports plant growth and ensures that the garden will remain enjoyable years to come. All GARDENA pruning tools come with a 25 year warranty, providing you the best quality tool for more seasons to come. For more information, visit www.gardena.co.za
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Images: Supplied
