At the risk of repeating myself, I’ll say it again, fall is in the air. Sure it is as hot a Hades now, but the days are growing shorter and most of the plants in my garden are ready to call it a season.

I can’t wait to get outside and spend hours cutting back, pruning this or that and moving my plants around as if they’ve got wheels.

Problem is, my tool shed is in sorry shape. My favorite Alligator Lopper contraption (Black & Decker) has been lent out to someone and if I could remember who it was I’d get it back.

My shovels are as dull as dirt.

I am completely out of fertilizers and amendments because I used everything to get the garden blooming for my daughter’s August wedding. As you know, August is a tough, so if it caused growth I used it up.

And I haven’t seen my favorite Felco pruners since spring. My hope is that as I whack back the garden they will appear under a bush. I hope, they were the best hand pruners I ever had.

Since I’ll need another pair to go forward the question becomes, should I buy cheap with a plan to find the Felcos, but what if I never do — or should I buy a second pair because I am sure I threw the old pair out with the clippings?

Pruners can make or break a day in the garden. Trust me, I’ve tried them all. Even though ease of handling is most important, I’ve never met a pair of so-called ergonomic pruners that I liked. I’ve got pruners that “roll or rotate” when you squeeze the handles and that makes pruning weird because I drop them.

Sharp traditional pruners that cut like buttah and are easy to squeeze is all I want. So I circle back to the pricey Felcos at $44. Their web site calls them family heirlooms. .. oh sure, if you don’t throw them out with the leaf pile. Like an automobile, you can buy parts and accessories and tune up your Felcos forever.

Corona makes an acceptable bypass pruner that you can also buy parts for and tune-up at will that sells for $27. I’ve got two pairs in the tool shed that are gunked-up beyond recognition. I could clean and sharpen them now and I won’t have to spend a dime. But they are a little more tiresome to squeeze over and over for a full day of pruning. Could be because I haven’t adjusted the tension.

In the past I’ve been perfectly happy with a cheap pair of Fiskars. They are very sharp when new. I think I’ve paid as little as $10 for a pair, but lately Fiskars has jumped on the “lifetime” wagon and added more upscale features such as the possibility to replace blades and tune up tension. Now they want $22.

So here is how my brain works: If I am going to spend $22 I might as well spend $27. And if I am going to spend $27 I might as well spend $44.
And what is a measly $44 when I am going to do all the pruning and not spend $300 hiring a landscaper to do it for me? So guess which pruners I am buying.

More than you’ll need to know about pruning:

• Guide to good trees for Orange County gardens
• Pruning apricots
  
• Pruning to prevent fire hazards
• To whack or not to whack
• Never top a tree
• All about apples
• Pruning wisteria for blooms
• Trees and neighbors don’t always mix

Posted in: Garden • How to garden • Seasonal tips • Tools and gadgets • Corona pruners • Felco pruners • Fiskars • hand pruners • pruning |

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