Melinda's Garden Moment Radio Tips
Melinda Myers
Nationally known gardening expert, TV/Radio host, author & columnist with over 30 years of horticulture experience and tons of gardening information to share! www.melindamyers.comMelinda's Garden Moment videos will help you create that beautiful landscape you’ve always wanted. Each week throughout the growing season, a new gardening video will be added right here, so be sure to stop back. You can also watch Melinda’s Garden Moments on your local network TV station affiliate.
Before you head out to the garden to do a bit of pruning, make sure you have the right tool for the job.
Use a bypass hand pruner for deadheading and pruning woody stems up to ¾ of an inch in diameter. These pruners have two sharp blades like scissors, resulting in a clean cut that closes quickly. Look for a quality pruner with replaceable blades.
Employ a bypass lopper to extend your reach when pruning small trees, shrubs and roses. Most loppers cut branches up to 2 inches in diameter. Those with longer handles give you greater leverage. And some have ratcheting devices to increase the cutting power with less effort on your part.
Invest in a small pruning saw for larger stems and branches. Foldable pruning saws have short blades to reach into tight places. The blade tucks into the handle for safekeeping and to reduce storage space.
A bit more information: A cordless reciprocating saw with the thin pruning blade allows great access and increased power. This is helpful when pruning suckering shrubs and other narrowly spaced stems and branches.