Pruning and Weeding

Pruning shears, garden scissors and long-handled hoe and weed-puller tools. A clean cut is what decides whether a pruned plant recovers well; a crushed stem from a blunt blade heals slowly. Wipe sap off blades after every use, since dried sap glues the pivot and dulls the edge, and never force pruners through a stem thicker than they are rated for.