Lesson 3: Fruit Tree Pruning Tools

Before you start cutting away at your trees, it is important that you have the right tools, but not spend money on things that you don't need. This lesson will cover fruit tree pruning tools and how to use them.

This the 3rd part of a 9 lesson fruit pruning course. If you would like to start the course at the beginning, please follow this link:

Fruit Pruning Course

If you would like to go to the previous lesson, follow this link:

Lesson 2

Hand Pruners

These are one handed shears for cutting small branches up to 3/4 inch in diameter. If you prune your trees consistently, the majority of your pruning cuts will be made with your pruning shears. There are two types of shears, but only one is suitable for pruning fruit trees. 

Anvil Pruners Left, Bypass Pruners Right

Anvil Type Pruners

Anvil pruners have an upper blade and lower jaws that pinch down on each other. This allows all of the energy of the tool to go directly into cutting the branch, unfortunately the pinching motion causes the lower jaws to damage the remaining bark at the bottom of the cut.

Bypass Type Pruners

Bypass pruners have an upper blade that bypasses the lower jaws. This type of pruner makes a clean cut as long as they remain sharp. Bypass pruners will snip off branches like scissors and they are the best type of hand pruner for pruning fruit trees.

Pruning Saw

Pruning saws are different than other saws because of their curved blade. A good pruning saw can cut through large branches 2-6 inches in diameter with very little effort.

 

The curved blade serves many purposes. First, it wraps around curved branches, increasing the cut area on the very first cut. It also allows you to fit the blade into tight places without damaging adjacent branches. As you pull your pruning saw back and forth, the rocking motion of the curved blade pulls saw dust from the pruning cut and keeps it from clogging up the cut. The teeth of the saw usually flare out a bit, so the pruning cut ends up being wider than the saw blade itself.

I like a folding saw because it is compact and fits in your back pocket. This keeps your hands free so you can climb ladders, but your saw is always close when you need it.

Loppers

Loppers are two handed shears that are popular among gardeners because of the leverage that they provide. Loppers can lop off branches up to 2 inches in diameter with very little effort. Make sure the lopper hadles are spread apart when the jaws are closed. Old loppers were famous for knocking knuckles together after cutting an extremely tough branch.

I don't use loppers to prune fruit trees, but I always have a pair close by. I find that I can make all of my cuts that are larger than 2 inches with my pruning saw, which is much more compact. And, as mentioned earlier, I like to keep my hands free when climbing ladders and trees.

Loppers are a great tool for reducing a pile of branches to straight sticks that can be fed into the chipper shredder without getting caught up in the chute.

Ladder

Most fruit trees will grow taller than you can reach from the ground. In this case you will need a ladder. Ladders can be very dangerous if not used correctly. When pruning fruit trees, there is always a temptation to reach for one more branch before moving the ladder. As soon as you lean out away from your ladder your ladder will tip away from you and you will end up on the ground with broken limbs, and I'm not as concerned about the limbs in your tree, they grow back.

When pruning from a ladder, move it often to reach the branches you want to prune. Never sit or stand on the top of the ladder and make sure you only use it on level ground.

Pole Pruner

Depending on the size of your fruit tree, you may need a pole pruner. This tool is like loppers on a stick. They come in various lengths and are operated with a rope that engages the blade. Some of them even have a saw blade that attaches to the end of the pole. Keeping a long pole steady with one hand and pulling a rope with the other can be a challenge, especially if you are trying to prune with any bit of precision. Without this tool, you may need to rent a lift to access the tallest branches on mature fruit trees.

Make sure you never use this tool from a ladder! 

Other tools

There are many home owners that like to use power tools to prune fruit trees. I prune thousands of trees every year and I never use power tools for several reasons. First, I find cords, batteries, gas, and oil a unnecessary complexity when pruning. I do have power tools, but I only use them in the rare instances when I need to remove a dead tree.

Second, most power tools don't wind down instantly. I find lots of nicks and scrapes on fruit trees that were pruned with power tools. I like the precision that hand tools afford me. Lastly, Unless you are using those tools on a regular basis for other projects, they are an unnecessary expense for a task that only happens once a year. Plus, the exercise is good for your body and soul.

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