9 Tools You Need for Safe and Effective Fall Pruning

No garden is complete without a good set of tools. Tools are what allow you to change and cultivate the site. Rakes move mulch, shovels dig dirt, and pruners cut wood.

When pruning in the fall, it’s important to remember a few things. Note that most woody perennials respond well to pruning in late winter and early spring. Cuts in the fall can lead to diseases and frost damage in the winter. 

If you are making cuts now, ensure you’re trimming a perennial that responds well to fall pruning. Prune smooth and panicle hydrangeas, roses, and dahlias. Avoid pruning fruit trees, bigleaf hydrangeas, and forsythias, among others.

So, which tools do you need for safe and effective fall pruning? These nine fall pruning tools are some of the most essential for home gardeners. Start with the basics. As you begin pruning, you’ll learn which other tools you’ll need for specific applications. 

Gloves

Every gardener needs a pair of gloves as part of their fall pruning tools (even though it’s not technically a ‘tool’). Gloves protect your palms, fingers, and fingernails from damage. They’re especially important when pruning, as they keep your fingers safe from accidental snips and slip-ups.

Use gloves that fit your hands. If they’re too big, the long finger portions may get caught in the pruners and make the process difficult.

When pruning thorny brambles like blackberries and raspberries, use thorn-resistant gloves. These have thick layers that protect your hands from punctures. I use them often for blackberry removal and when pruning rose bushes. 

Ladder

You’ll also need a ladder as one of your fall pruning tools, especially if you’re pruning large trees and shrubs. If they’re taller than your head, a ladder will help you reach those tall limbs. You can store it in your shed or closet, and take it out when you need it for fall pruning. 

Ladders come in three different types of materials: fiberglass, aluminum, and wood. Fiberglass lasts a long time and resists denting, though it’s often more expensive than aluminum options. Wood ladders are difficult to find nowadays, but you may fix and repurpose them to keep them lasting for many years. 

Opt for fiberglass if you can afford it. If not, choose between wood and aluminium. If you are choosing aluminium, be careful in sites with live wires. Aluminium is a conductor, and it’ll pass electrical currents that shock you. Fiberglass and wood are more shock-resistant. 

Hand Pruners

The first pruner you should get is a high-quality hand pruner. A good one will last many seasons, but a great one will last your lifetime. Choose a bypass pruner, as it works well for small to medium stems on trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials. 

I like to use Felco hand pruners. They’re the pruners of choice at farms, nurseries, and garden centers where I’ve worked. They’re expensive, but they’re easy to care for and they last for decades. 

If you have sensitive hands, look for a hand pruner with an ergonomic handle. It’ll be easier to use than traditional types. Or, try a ratchet-style pruner. It has an assisted mechanism in it that requires less work from your wrist and hand to cut. 

Loppers

Hand pruners typically work well for branches that are a half inch in diameter or smaller. For larger limbs, you’ll need some loppers in your fall pruning tool kit. Loppers are like giant pruners. They have long handles with a sharp blade on the ends. 

Because of their long handles, loppers give you more leverage when making cuts. You can prune any branch that’ll fit inside the blades. Limbs larger than an inch or two in diameter are difficult to cut with loppers, and they’ll respond better to a handsaw. 

Loppers work well, but they need sharp blades to make even cuts consistently. Ensure you keep the blades sharp with regular sharpening. After using the loppers this fall season, now is a great time to sharpen and sterilize your tools before winter arrives. 

Snips

Snips, or flat-blade pruners, are superb for pruning herbaceous perennials, flowers, and herbs. They’re small fall pruning tools, and they have blades that resemble those of scissors. The blades don’t have a lot of power, but they make clean cuts on soft stems.

Use snips to deadhead flowers, harvest herbs, and cut back perennials. They’re generally cheaper than pruners and loppers, and they’re a crucial part of a garden tool collection.

Handsaw

A handsaw is necessary for large pruning jobs. Thick limbs need a tool more capable than loppers, and the handsaw is the tool of choice. It’s a small saw that folds out of a handle. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and long-lasting.

If you’re growing fruit trees, you’ll need a handsaw. Mature trees and shrubs also require this tool for successful fall pruning. 

To use a handsaw, place it right outside of the branch collar on a limb. Move the blade back and forth by pulling and pushing the handle. Eventually, the saw will slice through the branch, and it’ll fall to the ground. 

For extra-large limbs, use a three-point pruning method. 

Make a partial cut far from the branch collar on the underside of the stem. Make a full cut outside the first one until the branch falls off. Then, make your final cut on the top of the branch next to the collar and remove the stub. You’ll avoid snaps and breaks by pruning in this way, with the three-point method. 

Extendable Tree Pruner

A tree pruner on a long handle works well for tall branches out of your reach. It has a lopper on its end and a string that falls to the ground. Some connect the string to a trigger, while others have a dangling rope to pull.

When you pull the trigger or yank the string, the loppers close to cut the branch. The long handle lets you prune 10, 12, or 16 feet above the ground. Any taller than that and the tool would be too difficult to hold. 

A tree pruner is only necessary for large trees that have dead branches. It’s especially useful for trimming palms, as they grow well out of reach when they mature.

Chainsaw

Most home gardeners won’t need a chainsaw in their fall pruning tools. However, it’s especially useful for cutting logs and large limbs. You may use an axe instead, though an axe requires much more technique and strength than a gas or electric chainsaw.

Perhaps you’d like to use your trimmings for firewood, or you’d like to set up a bundle of logs to create habitat for wildlife. A chainsaw slices through thick wood to give you smaller, more manageable pieces. It turns what would be a time-consuming project into a quick one.

A chainsaw requires careful use to avoid hurting yourself. Wear gloves and eyeglasses, and set the wood down on a semi-solid surface when sawing through it. Avoid using a chainsaw for wood set on concrete or other hard materials, as they can cause kickback to the blade. 

Sharpener

A sharpener is a necessary fall pruning tool to keep your tools cutting well. Without one, pruners will grow dull over time. It’s relatively easy to sharpen hand pruners, loppers, and snips. Use a handheld sharpener to keep them in tip-top shape.

Use a handheld sharpener by dragging it along the sharp part of the blade at an angle. Do this two or three times, then once along the backside of the blade. Your pruners should cut well afterwards. 

Other tools like chainsaws and handsaws need more precise sharpening. Many are built from hard steel that doesn’t take well to home sharpeners. Take them to a professional sharpener, or consider getting a new blade or chain.