Continuing her series on pruning, Cathy Isom helps us in choosing the right pruning tools for our garden and landscape needs. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
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Not every branch is created equal – so you’ll need different tools depending on your pruning needs. The most indispensable tool is a pair of sharp handheld 
pruners made for smaller branches and stems. Hand shears are used for cutting shrubs with a dense habit. Hedge sheers – which resemble large scissors – allow a much larger area to be cut helping to maintain the shape of the hedge. Loppers are a type of scissors used for pruning twigs and small branches. 
Because of their size, they’re usually operated with both hands for cutting hard to reach woody stems. Long-armed Loppers are better for removing larger branches from overhead. When cuts cannot be made with hand pruners and lopping shears, then you’ll want to reach for a pruning saw. In either a fixed or folding blade design they will quickly and easily cut smaller branches and limbs. A Bow saw can handle bigger jobs such as cutting limbs or pieces down to size after the initial cut. And an electric hedge trimmer will make any job easier, and a lot quicker, especially with longer and taller hedges.