Last week, we talked about pruning raspberries.  This time of year, pruning is a common activity, between cutting back the season’s growth on perennials and cleaning up the trees around your house.  Keeping your pruning shears in excellent condition can shorten your time spent pruning and make the process much more enjoyable.

Proper maintenance will also extend the life of your pruning shears, which means you spend less money on replacements.  All you need to sharpen and care for your pruning shears is a file, available at any home and garden store, a wire brush, some WD-40 and a bucket with water.Dip the wire brush in the water and vigorously scrub any residual plant guts off of the blades.  Once the metal is clean, you can begin filing.  Holding your file flat against one blade, firmly push the file away from you.  This will file off burrs and debris to restore the blade to its proper sharpness.  Keep repeating this motion along the length of the blade.  When you think it is sharp enough, very, very carefully rub it with your finger or attempt to cut something small.  Repeat this for the other blade.

Once sharpened, a little oil from the WD-40 can will keep all the parts moving smoothly.  You need only a little squirt in any spot where the metal rubs together.

Sharpening your pruning shears is a quick and easy task, taking about 10-15 minutes once or twice per year.  Though it seems insignificant, these few steps can greatly lengthen the lifespan of your shears and make them work much more efficiently, reducing the need to use a lot of muscle power when clipping branches.