Anvil, bypass or hybrid: When pruning shrubs, roses, hedges, or fruit trees, you should keep the plant species, branch diameter and pruning goal in mind.
There’s something to prune in the garden almost all year round. Old shoots need a vigorous pruning, while roses require gentle care. Then there are hedges, fruit trees and dead branches. When you prune is just as important as the tool you use. The right pruning shears make the job easier and ensure the cleanest possible cut.
Out of habit, we often reach for the same pair of pruners. But fresh, fibrous, or delicate shoots place different demands on pruning shears than hard, dry, old wood. Before cutting, it’s therefore worth taking a quick look at the plant, the thickness of the branch, and the desired result.
An anvil-style pruning shears is particularly well-suited for hard and dry wood. Its blade strikes a solid surface – the anvil. This requires less force from the start, which is especially noticeable when dealing with older, thicker or dry shoots. Typical applications include old and dead wood, as well as heavy-duty pruning tasks where cutting power is paramount.
For fibrous and delicate plant material, bypass pruners are the better choice. The blade and counter blade glide past each other, enabling a clean cut. This is advantageous for roses, young shoots, fibrous bark and cuts close to the stem. Especially with delicate plant tissue, crushing should be avoided as much as possible.
Hybrid pruners combine the features of both cutting principles. They are suitable for thicker branches when, in addition to high cutting force, secure guidance of the material being cut is important. This is particularly helpful with hard wood of larger diameter or when you don’t want the branch to slip forward out of the blades during cutting.
The season also determines which tasks are needed. In the spring, roses and summer-flowering shrubs are often pruned back. For young shoots, sharp pruners are important to prevent the plant tissue from being crushed. In the summer, tasks include shaping and maintenance pruning, removing spent blooms and making minor corrections to new growth. In the fall, work on hedges and ornamental shrubs follows. In winter and late winter, the structures of many fruit trees and shrubs are more clearly visible. Whether pruning can be done at that time depends on the plant species and frost-free conditions.
In Germany, nature conservation laws set limits on more severe pruning. From March 1 through September 30, cutting back or severely pruning hedges, shrubs and other woody plants is restricted. Gentle shaping and maintenance pruning, however, is still permitted. Before pruning, you should always check whether birds are nesting or other animals are using the plant.
That’s why Original LOEWE (Original LÖWE) organizes its pruning shears not only by model series but also by application: quick cuts, light pruning, heavy-duty cutting or a particularly clean cut. This allows you to choose more precisely which pruners are best suited for the task at hand.
As a general guideline: For hard, dry, or older wood, an anvil-style pruning shear is recommended. Fresh, green, and delicate shoots are best cut with bypass pruners. If both cutting power and precise control are required, hybrid pruning shears are the ideal choice. Clean, sharp blades, dry storage and regular maintenance make the work easier and keep the tool in working order for longer.
There’s something to prune in the garden almost all year round. Old shoots need a vigorous pruning, while roses require gentle care. Then there are hedges, fruit trees and dead branches. When you prune is just as important as the tool you use. The right pruning shears make the job easier and ensure the cleanest possible cut.
Out of habit, we often reach for the same pair of pruners. But fresh, fibrous, or delicate shoots place different demands on pruning shears than hard, dry, old wood. Before cutting, it’s therefore worth taking a quick look at the plant, the thickness of the branch, and the desired result.
An anvil-style pruning shears is particularly well-suited for hard and dry wood. Its blade strikes a solid surface – the anvil. This requires less force from the start, which is especially noticeable when dealing with older, thicker or dry shoots. Typical applications include old and dead wood, as well as heavy-duty pruning tasks where cutting power is paramount.
For fibrous and delicate plant material, bypass pruners are the better choice. The blade and counter blade glide past each other, enabling a clean cut. This is advantageous for roses, young shoots, fibrous bark and cuts close to the stem. Especially with delicate plant tissue, crushing should be avoided as much as possible.
Hybrid pruners combine the features of both cutting principles. They are suitable for thicker branches when, in addition to high cutting force, secure guidance of the material being cut is important. This is particularly helpful with hard wood of larger diameter or when you don’t want the branch to slip forward out of the blades during cutting.
The season also determines which tasks are needed. In the spring, roses and summer-flowering shrubs are often pruned back. For young shoots, sharp pruners are important to prevent the plant tissue from being crushed. In the summer, tasks include shaping and maintenance pruning, removing spent blooms and making minor corrections to new growth. In the fall, work on hedges and ornamental shrubs follows. In winter and late winter, the structures of many fruit trees and shrubs are more clearly visible. Whether pruning can be done at that time depends on the plant species and frost-free conditions.
In Germany, nature conservation laws set limits on more severe pruning. From March 1 through September 30, cutting back or severely pruning hedges, shrubs and other woody plants is restricted. Gentle shaping and maintenance pruning, however, is still permitted. Before pruning, you should always check whether birds are nesting or other animals are using the plant.
That’s why Original LOEWE (Original LÖWE) organizes its pruning shears not only by model series but also by application: quick cuts, light pruning, heavy-duty cutting or a particularly clean cut. This allows you to choose more precisely which pruners are best suited for the task at hand.
As a general guideline: For hard, dry, or older wood, an anvil-style pruning shear is recommended. Fresh, green, and delicate shoots are best cut with bypass pruners. If both cutting power and precise control are required, hybrid pruning shears are the ideal choice. Clean, sharp blades, dry storage and regular maintenance make the work easier and keep the tool in working order for longer.
