Can I use one pruner type for all tasks?

Using a single pruner style for all gardening tasks is inviting disaster, and specialization exists for a reason. I have witnessed and repaired more damaged pruners than I can count and brought back more injured plants from misuse than I can count. The misuse of tools leads to consistent patterns of damage that you should strive to prevent.

Driving bypass pruners through deadwood can damage or destroy their blades; the curved cutting edges chip when pruners impact hard, dry wood. Spring mechanisms can fail under extreme pressure. I replaced three pairs of bypass pruners before I learned the hard way. Blade misalignment becomes permanent, and costly replacements are needed.

*Anvil pruners on green stems create much bigger problems. Their crushing action destroys soft tissue. I had a neighbor prune hydrangeas with anvil tools. The plants showed disease vulnerability in less than 2 weeks. If anvil pruners damage them, they could become infected because the crushed stem tissue can easily become a site for pathogens that quickly spread throughout the entire garden.*

Create distinct tool territories in your garden. Use bypass pruners only for vegetable beds and flower gardens. Kew pruners are suited for orchards and areas with deadwood. By keeping the tools physically separated, you won't accidentally use the wrong tool. I labeled my various gardening stations to help eliminate confusion, which cut my mistakes down by 90%.

Investing in both types of pruners pays off in the long run. Quality tools can last for decades when properly maintained. I still have the original Felco bypass pruners I bought twenty years ago. With an anvil pair, I can handle all my pruning tasks while maintaining plant health and tool quality.

Read the full article: Bypass vs Anvil Pruners: Key Differences