The Selection and Use of Tools and Equipment

Tools Used For Plant Manipulation

It is important to establish at the beginning what are some of the basic tools used for pruning and training fruit trees.

Secateurs (pruning shears A)

Good quality secateurs are essential; these are simply a pair of scissors that have been specifically designed for cutting plant material. A grower will always find a use for a pair of secateurs.

Lopping Shears (B)

The lopping shears are used to prune branches that are too thick for ordinary secateurs. It has strong secateurs blades on extended handles about 40 cm in length.

Hedging Shears (C)

Hedging shears are used for cutting/trimming hedges.

Pruning Saw (D)

A carpenter’s saw would not be used for pruning bushes or trees. There are many different sizes and shapes of pruning saws available. These normally have reversed teeth and are narrow enough to make a clean cut at the base of a branch without damaging the bark on the adjoining stem.

Pruning Knife (E)

Pruning knives are usually in the form of a pocket knife with a curved cutting edge. It is useful for cleaning a cut edge or shaping a torn wound.

Ladder

This is usually a wooden ladder with a folding tripod leg that allows a person to get close to the tree to perform the tricky top work.

Anyone performing pruning or training work must wear the appropriate safety clothing.

The operator must ensure that the tools and equipment used are sterilised as required and cleaned thoroughly at the end of the day.