KEEP YOUR TOOLS SHARP

Follow Martin’s guide on how to keep knives, secateurs and pruners shipshape

Through late winter and into spring there’s plenty of pruning to be ge ing on with in the garden. Many types of shrubs, fruit trees and bushes, dogwoods grown for their colourful stems and roses will all need their annual prune to keep them healthy and in shape.

When doing any pruning, the job is made much easier if the pruning tools are sharp. A clean cut is also be er for the plant and will heal over faster than a jagged wound. To prepare for a busy pruning season now, while things are quiet in the garden, it’s a good idea to get your secateurs, pruners and garden knives out and give them a good clean and sharpen so that they’re ready for action.

Sharpening knives and secateurs isn’t difficult but it does need a li le patience to get a sharp edge. The secret is to follow the existing edge on the blade with the sharpener until sharp again. Bypass secateurs are angled on one edge, whereas anvil ones tend to be double edged. Knives can be single or double edged, so check first before you start to sharpen. Once sharpened, the ultimate test is to try them on some stems to make sure they cut easily with a neat, clean cut.

3 Use a flat diamond sharpener on bypass secateurs to stroke firmly along the angle of the cu ing edge. Start coarse and finish with a fine sharpener.

Clean and sharp tools make pruning easier

On anvil pruners use a diamond sharpener. Both sides of the blade need to be sharpened, taking care to follow the bevel on the blade. Fine sandpaper or emery cloth to clean all steel surfaces. Sharpening stone. Several types are available, such as carborundum stone, diamond or tungsten sharpener. Oil – thin such as 3in1 to lubricate moving parts and coat surfaces to prevent rust. A wiping cloth – an old duster or paper towel is perfect.