As gardeners we are always pruning in the garden. To do this job properly and to keep plants healthy, it’s important that we have a good, reliable, sharp pair of secateurs. Fortunately, here at Darlac we have an incredible range of different styles and types of pruners for your different gardening needs.

Our friends at Pots & Trowels have picked three pruners from our range to showcase how they work and share a little bit more information about each pair. This should help you decide which pair of secateurs might be best for you.

In the featured video Martin Fish also talks you through his top tips for using secateurs and explains how to get the most out of the Darlac range. To find out more, read on and watch the video below.

The Expert Bypass Pruner

These secateurs are incredibly sharp, it’s important to follow instructions and keep safe whilst using them. Effectively, they work like a pair of scissors. With a sharp internal blade that bypasses the blade at the bottom to slice a stem. This means you get a wonderful precision cut.

These are very easy to use and have a lovely shaped handle to hold. The Expert Bypass Pruner can prune with little effort and can be used on a variety of plants. These will cut stems to the thickness of a little finger, great for most tidying and trimming jobs.

It’s important to use sharp secateurs as they create a clean edge on the plant, and this is essential for healthy growth.

The Expert Anvil Pruner

The Expert Anvil Pruner has a thick base plate, known as the anvil, and this is where they get their name from. You’ll then find a blade that’s bevelled and sharpened on each side. When this cuts through a stem it’s a perfectly clean, sharp cut, on both sides.

These pruners work well for thick growth in the garden, and the general pruning of summer flowering shrubs, such as buddleia. They are also particularly good at chopping through dry, dead wood.

Ratchet Anvil Pruners

The rachet mechanism on this pair of Anvil Pruners makes it stand out from the crowd. It works by acting as a ‘pump’. This means you don’t have to assert as much pressure, the weight you do apply will ‘pump’ through the mechanism and make the cut feel easy. These are ideal if you’ve got reduced movement in your hands, or arthritis. You can use these pruners on thicker stems and strong deadwood without much effort at all, a few pumps and you’ll see a precision chop through your branch.

What’s The Difference Between a Bypass and an Anvil Blade?

Although we’ve touched on this question whilst looking at the different Darlac products, it’s important to understand the differences between the blades, and know how they can help you the most in the garden. The key to selecting the perfect pair of pruners is remembering that you need to pick the right tool for the right job.

The bypass cutting tool has one blade and one cutting platform. The blade will have a ‘flat’ side and then a bevelled or ‘angled’ side. This would be the sharpest point. The flat side, slides across the cutting platform when you close the handles together. When there is contact, with a stem or a branch, the cut is made. This sort of blade is best for ‘general’ pruning and wouldn’t be recommended for woodier, thicker stems.

Whilst similar to the bypass, with one blade and one cutting platform, the anvil does have some specific differences. The anvil blade slices down towards the cutting platform, and this supports the stem or branch on both sides as it’s chopped.  As the stem is offered more support from both sides of the blade, the anvil blade is often better for woodier stems, harder woods such as fruit trees, and old growth. It should also mean there is less chance of feeling a ‘wobble’ when cutting.

It’s good to remember that both the bypass and anvil blades are just two types of cutting tools. The bypass blade cuts against the side of a stem or branch, and the anvil blade cuts onto the top of the stem and slices through. Think about the work you want to do in the garden and choose the best blade for each specific task.

Top tips for using your pruners

Whichever pair of secateurs you go for, there are tips and tricks you can implement to ensure you are getting the most out of your Darlac product. Plus, it will help to ensure they’ll last you for years to come. 

• After using any type of pruner be sure to close them with the safety catch every time they’re not in use. This will stop you from cutting yourself. You could even invest in a Leather Holster to keep them safely on your waistband. 

• When you’re pruning in the garden, to make it easier, ensure that whatever you’re pruning goes right to the back of the secateur blade. It’s a much easier way to cut when it’s embedded into the back of the blade, rather than at the tip. You won’t need to apply as much pressure.

• When you’ve finished with your pruners, it’s a good idea to get a cloth and wipe the blade down, to get rid of any sap that’s been left on the blade. Next time you need them they’ll be lubricated and clean, ready to use straight away. 

• Finally, make sure your pruners are always kept sharp. Blunt tools can make harder work of trimming and pruning so use a sharpener to keep your blades razor-sharp. The Darlac 2-in-1, Tungsten and Diamond sharpener is a handy tool to keep in the shed.

We hope this blog post has given you a great insight into some of the secateurs in the Darlac range. You can purchase all of the tools we’ve mentioned in store from your local garden centre. Read more about Darlac stockists here.