A secateur (also known as pruning shears or hand pruners) is a gardening tool used for cutting and trimming small branches, stems, and twigs. It’s typically designed to cut materials up to about ¾ inch (2 cm) in diameter, making it ideal for a variety of pruning tasks. Here are the primary uses of a secateur:
- Pruning plants: Removing dead, damaged, or diseased branches to improve plant health and appearance.
- Shaping shrubs and bushes: Cutting back growth to maintain the desired size, shape, and form of hedges or ornamental plants.
- Cutting flowers: Harvesting flowers for bouquets or deadheading (removing spent blooms) to encourage new growth.
- Trimming vines: Secateurs can be used to cut and control the growth of climbing plants and vines.
- Harvesting fruit and vegetables: Used for cutting fruits like grapes, tomatoes, or small tree fruits, or for trimming certain vegetable plants.
Secateurs typically have either a bypass mechanism (like scissors, where the blades pass by each other) or an anvil mechanism (where the blade cuts against a flat surface), both designed to make clean, precise cuts. They’re essential tools for both professional gardeners and hobbyists for maintaining healthy plants.