This advice was acquired at RHS Rosemoor during a soft fruit pruning workshop:

• Scissor-style secateurs, rather than anvil, are preferred.
• Felco, although relatively expensive, is the preferred manufacturer.
• The blade should be sharpened regularly with an Istor sharpener: just a few gentle strokes are all that’s needed to keep the blade razor sharp.  A sharp pair of secateurs should be able to cut a piece of paper cleanly.
• Always spray the blade with a disinfectant before use to prevent accidentally transferring diseases etc. from one plant to another.

Stuart Senior

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