Cutting edge care
Regular maintenance of your secateurs will prolong their useful life for decades and make your gardening easier
The last week of several rainy days saw me looking for garden tasks to complete that didn’t require either getting wet, or muddy. It turned out to be the ideal opportunity to perform some badly needed maintenance on some of my garden tools, particularly the ones I use nearly every day I’m out in my patch.
A tool that I carry in my leather belt holster, every time I step out into the garden, is my trusty pair of secateurs. I’ve had these Swiss-made beauties for over 20 years now, and they have always been my go-to blades for all small pruning tasks in either the ornamental or productive patch.
All these pruning tasks, however, eventually cause the inevitable bluntness and build-up of dirt and plant sap on all parts of the blade, counter-blade, and spring, resulting in all manner of pruning malfunctions (blades sticking on opening, when cutting, and poor cutting performance) as well as a fair smattering of tool-associated curse words being uttered.
And as savvy gardeners are aware, most, if not all, of these pruning malfunctions and expletive-laden rants could be minimised by regular maintenance of said secateurs.
It’s important to note that, just like watches and handbags, there are two types of garden secateurs – cheap knockoffs and well-made authentic products. I choose to pay more initially, and purchase the latter, for the following reasons:
1. Durability 2. Reliability 3. Availability (of spare parts) 4. Serviceability 5. Pruneability (quality of cut)
These high-quality secateurs are made from hardened steel and forged aluminium, and every part, down to the smallest screw, is replaceable. Other features include a sap groove which reduces sticking, a wirecutting notch (to lessen damaged and blunt blades), ergonomic design, and a manufacturing process that uses 100% renewable energy.
While all these make for a better experience when purchasing and using these secateurs, it’s usually a lack of maintenance by the user that eventually overcomes all the built-in features and causes poor manual performance and horrible pruning cuts. And every good gardener will know that, when pruning, making a clean cut with a sharp pruning tool is less likely to cause ragged, open wounds creating more surface area into which diseases can easily enter.
Maintenance begins with keeping your secateurs clean. This means both free from dirt and sap, as well as reducing the possibility of passing on diseases as you wander around the garden.
Cleaning can be as simple as wetting with a soapy water solution and wiping with a rag. Any cleaning product will work well, but you may have to resort to an abrasive pad to help remove stubborn, old material that may have been building for months (or years!)
A disinfectant spray should be (but rarely is) used every time you finish pruning a plant. A simple mixture of one part bleach or tea tree oil to ten parts water in a spray bottle is an ideal disinfectant. Methylated spirits is also an alternative steriliser and disinfectant.
Some gardeners may think that sharpening their bladed tools should be left to an expert, but it can be easily performed by anyone if they have the right tools.
You don’t need specialised clamping devices, sharpening stones, or oils in order to keep your secateurs cutting easily and cleanly.
My sharpening kit includes a pair of stub-nosed pliers, a flat-head screwdriver, a can of spray lubricant and a hand-held diamond-coated sharpening tool. I usually have some fine-grit sandpaper on hand for cleaning, together with an old towel and some newspaper to stop staining on the surface used for these tasks.
I disassemble the secateurs (easy with a quality product), clean all the individual parts, then sharpen the blade. For my Swissmade secateurs, there are great videos and information pages on the internet to help with sharpening.
I use the diamond-coated tool to sharpen the bevelled blade at an angle of approximately 23 degrees, then a few swipes at about 60 degrees, followed by deburring on the flat side of the blade. This should be done every week if you’re using the secateurs regularly.
If you begin to sharpen the blade and there are large nicks or chunks out of it, then it should be replaced.
It’s then a simple matter of reassembling the secateurs, lubricating them, and wiping them over with a clean cloth. Happy pruning!