A Practical Guide to Different Types of Garden Shears and How to Choose Them

Garden shears are indispensable tools in garden maintenance. Understanding the different types of garden shears helps gardeners and homeowners choose the right garden hand tools for their daily pruning tasks. There are a great many types of garden scissors on the market, and this variety once made novice gardeners feel extremely troubled. If you are passionate about gardening, you can take this article as a purchasing guide for gardening scissors. Next, I will explain in detail the several mainstream types of gardening scissors on the market for you.

This guide will help you compare the most common types of garden shears so you can choose the option that fits your gardening style and plant-care needs.

1. Pruning shears

Blade material: The mainstream material used for blades on the market is stainless steel, which has relatively high hardness. Some pruning shears are often used in damp environments, so it is advisable to choose those with anti-rust coatings, which can extend the service life of the blades.

There are roughly two types of structures. The first type is a double-edged blade, and the second type is a single-edged blade (one side is a blade and the other side is a chopping board). A double-edged knife is suitable for pruning live branches, while a single-edged knife is suitable for pruning dead and withered branches.

Applicable branches: short-diameter flower branches and relatively low shrub branches.

Among all garden hand tools, pruning shears are the most frequently used, especially for everyday garden maintenance.

Advantages: The resulting cut is very smooth, which is beneficial to the tree’s healing process. The pruning shears are small in size and can be operated flexibly with one hand!

Disadvantages: Due to the overly sharp blade, it is prone to cracking when cutting relatively thick branches. If the technique is not proficient, it may cause crush injuries to the plants. This is why pruning shears should be used mainly for live branches rather than thick woody stems.

Applicable scenarios include pruning roses, hybrid roses, and other flowering plants, as well as trimming the branches of fruit trees.

If you enjoy home gardening, I highly recommend choosing double-edged pruning shears.

2. Flower shears

Blade material: Similar to pruning shears, most are made of stainless steel.

Structure: The blade is very thin, the blade body is very slender, and most of them have fine serrations.

Suitable branches: Soft flower roots, stems, branches and leaves.

Advantages: The blade is extremely sharp and provides excellent cutting efficiency, allowing you to prune for long periods without hand fatigue. However, it takes no effort at all to prune branches. Even if you work hard all morning in the garden, your hands won't get tired.

Disadvantage: Due to the extremely thin blade, it is very, very prone to curling when encountering sharp objects. Once the blade curls, the knife is ruined.

Recommended scenarios: Picking fresh-cut flowers, pruning the roots of succulents, and taking care of delicate plants such as orchids.

3. Thick branch pruning

Material: Stainless steel is mostly used. The back of the blade is thicker than the average one, about one centimeter. The blade is very thick, which enables it to cut thick branches.

Structure: Refer to the well-known lever principle.

Applicable branches: Suitable for thick-diameter fruit tree branches, such as old branches of osmanthus trees and tea branches.

Advantage: It delivers strong cutting power for handling thick, old, or woody branches that regular pruning shears cannot manage.

Disadvantage: It's too heavy! And it's a huge creature that takes up a lot of space.

Recommended scenarios: Pruning shrubs at home in winter, trimming old branches in orchards, and the like.

4. Hedge shears

Material: Most feed carbon steel or manganese steel, and some will use wavy blades.

Structure: Generally, they are single-edged scissors with relatively long handles, usually reaching up to sixty centimeters.

Suitable branches: It is suitable for pruning thick branches and leaves, but the diameter should not be too thick, otherwise it is easy to damage the cutting tool. Hedge shears are essential garden equipment for shaping bushes, hedges, and topiary.

Advantages: A single cut can cover a large area, allowing for the easy creation of hedges. Even with a handle length of 60 centimeters, it doesn't require frequent bending over for labor, making it very effortless.

Disadvantage: There's no way to handle thick leaves.

Recommended scenes: The edges of lawns with hedges such as boxwood and red-leaf photinia, as well as some small spherical plants.

5. Tall branch pruning

Material: Most high-branch shears are made of stainless steel and carbon alloy, and some are made of carbon fiber. However, the price will be higher.

Structure: Simply put, it is a pruning shear with an extendable rod added

Suitable branches: Suitable for fine branches, with a diameter not exceeding 4 centimeters.

Advantages: It can be operated on the ground to prune branches, extends high, has high safety performance, saves time and effort, and is very convenient. This makes them ideal for gardeners who want to trim high branches safely without climbing ladders.

Disadvantages: Due to the overly long stem of the tall branch shears, they are prone to being cut crooked during operation. Moreover, tall branch shears are generally quite expensive and cannot be used in extremely strong winds.

Recommended scenarios: Suitable for the landscaping department to prune street trees and some tall fruit trees in orchards.

6. Some tips for the maintenance and care of garden shears

1. After each use, you can apply some resin and sewing machine oil on the blade to prevent it from rusting, which can extend the service life of the garden scissors. Regular cleaning also prevents plant sap buildup, which can affect cutting performance.

2. When sharpening the knives, use 1000-mesh sandpaper for flower shears, 400-mesh coarse grinding and 800-mesh fine grinding for branch shears, and keep a 30-degree Angle with the blade. After grinding, turn on the flashlight and shine it on the blade to ensure it is flat and free of sand and gravel.

3. A workman who wants to do his job well must first sharpen his tools. If you are just an enthusiast of home gardening, most problems can be easily solved with just a pair of flower shears or pruning shears. However, if you are a professional gardener, it is recommended to have a full range of scissors.

Conclusion

No single type of garden shears can handle all gardening tasks, which is why understanding their differences is essential. If you don't just want to buy one, it is recommended that you prioritize purchasing pruning shears. When the budget is sufficient, it is recommended to prepare flower shears, pruning shears and thick branch shears. Choosing the right tools ensures cleaner cuts, healthier plants, and a more efficient gardening experience.