Why secateurs are the gardener’s best friend
THIS week I would like to focus on a vital tool for all gardeners. Whenever we wish to cut or prune any lengthy branches or stems, we will definitely need secateurs.
Secateurs are also known as pruning shears or hand pruners. Having the right one for the right purpose will ensure that we do a perfect job. Secateurs are designed to be strong enough to prune the hardened branches of shrubs and trees, even up to two centimetres in diameter.
They are used not only for gardening, but for arboriculture, farming, horticulture, and also flower arrangement work. The bigger version of secateurs is known as a lopper.
I would like to look at the choices available and give some comments on the use of each of them, by sharing my own experience with gardening work over the past so many years.
The fact is that if you want great performers, you might lose out on comfort. Adding to the confusion, prices vary wildly, with some from just a few ringgit to over RM100 for well-known brands. But you do not really need to pay a lot for a really good pair of secateurs. Main types l Bypass secateurs are the most common and cut like a pair of scissors. The top blade cuts as it passes an unsharpened lower blade. l Anvil secateurs have a single blade that cuts onto a flat anvil with a chopping action. l Ratchet secateurs work the same as the anvil secateurs but enable cuts in several smaller movements. A test was recently carried out in New Zealand by a panel of professional and home gardeners. They used secateurs to carry out easy and hard pruning jobs such as deadheading and rose pruning. The test parameters included tool construction, safety, and resistance to going blunt when doing the job, as well as how easy handling and use were. Their findings confirmed that ratchet sec ate ursa re a good choice for doing cutting jobs. Using them for pruning job would mean minimum effort. Others required good muscle strength to do dead wood cuttings. Bypass secateurs were the easiest to use but generally did not perform as well as anvil or ratchet secateurs. There are so many choices in the market nowadays, but you will find that most are made in China. Personally, I find the best ones are from Japanese and British manufacturers. I have used Japanese ones that have been very long lasting and remained sharp because the cutting edge was plated with special metal or even plastic coatings. So these secateurs should not and need not be sharpened with grindstones. Importance of coatings The coating on the cutting edge is important. Stainless steel has a high corrosion resistance. The blade is coated with a protective chromium oxide layer that covers the steel surface after heat treatment. However, it is not durable for long term usage.
Carbon steel has a higher carbon content, giving it a lower melting point and more malleability and durability. However, it is less durable as it will get stained and corrode over time.
Titanium coated blades are stronger and offer sharpness and durability. The coating prevents corrosion and can be easily recognised by the gold coloured blades as opposed to the typical silver coloured steel blades.
When going further on the search, we will find there are those for the left handed and those with smaller hands. The specific left-handed secateurs have cutting blades that are reversed to avoid the problem of doing the wrong cuts. Doing so would leave rough edges on the plant, which is bad for growth and also unsightly. Keeping sharp No matter which brand or type of secateurs we buy, they will need to be kept sharp and lubricated to ensure clean cuts. Blunt blades damage the plant tissue and increase the risk of infection by diseases.
To keep them in good condition, remember the following: l Don’t try to cut branches that are too thick or hard. Use a pruning saw or toppers to do more complicated jobs. l Do not twist the secateurs during use as the action would damage the tool and even the branch, which we intend to prune. l Sharpen the blade using a grindstone when blunt. · Oil moving parts and grease them before storing them away in a dry place.
These days there are also battery-powered tools for ease of cutting jobs. Finally, the choice is still yours according to your budget and frequency of use.
Do send me an email if you have questions, comments, or suggestions.
Happy gardening.