Winter is when your pruners sit forgotten in the shed collecting rust and grime from the season’s work, but a bit of attention now saves you from buying replacements in spring. Most people chuck their tools away at the first sign of trouble without realising that proper maintenance keeps them sharp and functional for years, possibly decades. Taking care of your pruners isn’t complicated or time-consuming, it just requires actually doing it instead of assuming they’ll be fine until you need them again.
Clean off all the sap and dirt before storing them.
Sap hardens over winter and becomes impossible to remove without damaging the blades, while dirt holds moisture against the metal and encourages rust. Use warm soapy water and a stiff brush to scrub everything off, paying particular attention to the pivot point where gunk builds up. This simple cleaning step prevents most of the problems that make pruners feel stiff or cut poorly when you pull them out again in spring.
Disinfect the blades to prevent disease spread.
@fromdreamtoseed An easy, DIY tutorial for cleaning garden pruners without using harsh chemicals. These are my favorite garden pruners from @FELCO. #gardenpruner #gardencleanups #gardentips #momsoftiktok #real #christmas #growmyaccount #explore #diy #home #tutorial #diyproject #lifehack #hacks #gardentok #gardenproject #planttok #homestead #planttiktok #plantlover #homesteading ♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda
Your pruners have been cutting through potentially diseased plants all season, and those pathogens can survive on the blades over winter. Wipe them down with rubbing alcohol, diluted bleach, or a proper horticultural disinfectant to kill anything lingering on the metal. This stops you from inadvertently spreading infections to healthy plants when you start pruning again, which is especially important if you’ve been dealing with bacterial or fungal issues in your garden.
Sharpen the blades properly with the right tools.
Dull pruners crush plant tissue instead of cutting cleanly, which damages plants and makes your hand and wrist ache from the extra force required. Use a sharpening stone or file at the correct angle, following the existing bevel on the blade rather than creating a new edge. You’re aiming for sharp enough to cut paper cleanly but not razor-sharp because an overly acute edge chips and dulls faster than a slightly thicker one.
Oil all the metal parts to prevent rust.
A light coating of oil creates a barrier between the metal and moisture in the air, stopping that orange rust from forming over the months they’re stored. Use proper tool oil, WD-40, or even vegetable oil in a pinch, making sure you coat the blades, spring, and pivot bolt. Wipe off any excess so you’re not left with a sticky mess, but leave enough of a film that water can’t reach the metal surface underneath.
Tighten any loose bolts or screws.
The pivot bolt in particular gets loose with repeated use and if it’s too slack, the pruners won’t cut properly and the misalignment wears the blades unevenly. Check all the fasteners and tighten them snug, but not so tight that the mechanism won’t move smoothly. If the bolt is damaged or stripped, replace it now, rather than discovering mid-prune that your tool barely functions.
Check the spring and replace it if it’s weak.
@3inoneukWatch @inthecottagegarden bring her rusty pruners back to life with 3-IN-ONE Drip Oil! Prolonging the life of your garden tools so you don’t have to buy new ones. ✨🌿
A worn spring means your pruners won’t open fully on their own, and you’ll be fighting them with every cut, which is exhausting over the course of an afternoon. Test the spring tension and if it’s noticeably weaker than it used to be or if it’s cracked, order a replacement spring for your model. Most manufacturers sell spare parts and fitting a new spring takes minutes but completely transforms how the tool performs.
Inspect for cracks or damage that’ll worsen over time.
Small cracks in the handles or blades might seem minor, but they’ll spread with use and eventually cause catastrophic failure, possibly injuring you in the process. Look carefully at all parts of the tool and if you spot damage, decide whether it’s repairable or if you’re better off replacing the pruners entirely. Catching these issues now while you’ve got time to order replacements beats discovering them when you’re halfway through winter pruning.
Store them somewhere dry and protected.
Even perfectly maintained pruners will rust if you leave them in a damp shed or greenhouse over winter. Find a dry spot, ideally hanging on a wall rather than sitting in a drawer where moisture can collect underneath them. If your storage area is unavoidably damp, consider keeping them wrapped in an oily rag or storing them with silica gel packets to absorb excess moisture from the air around them.
Label them if you’ve got multiple pairs.
If you own several pruners for different jobs, mark them clearly so you’re not using your expensive bypass pruners for heavy jobs that should go to the anvil pruners. This prevents accidentally damaging your good tools and means you can grab the right pair quickly without having to examine them closely. A bit of paint or tape on the handles does the job and saves the confusion when you’re reaching for tools in a hurry.
Test them before the pruning season actually starts.
Don’t wait until you’re standing in front of a rose bush in February to discover your pruners are stuck shut or won’t cut properly. Give them a test run on some stems or cardboard once you’ve finished maintaining them, which tells you immediately if there’s still an issue to fix. Sorting problems in January when you’ve got time is far less frustrating than realising mid-job that your main tool is unusable, and you haven’t got a backup plan.