Even if you trust your annual tree pruning to a professional tree care service (and why wouldn’t you, especially if you’re in Cincinnati!), if your yard has trees or bushes in it, you’re going to need a few tools for day-to-day maintenance and trimming. We’ve put together our list of must-have tree care tools for the safety and health of your trees.
Loppers
Loppers generally have long handles and are used to chomp off thicker twigs and small branches that need to be pruned or removed. Loppers can help get the job done without you needing to reach your hands or arms into weird or thorny places to get the trimming accomplished and can even be helpful for (some) overhead work.
Pole Pruners
Pole pruners are basically pruning shears on a long pole, which allow you to trim smaller branches without having to climb up to their level. Anytime you can avoid getting up on a ladder, you’re making your yard maintenance safer, so these are a wise investment if you have trees that would otherwise require a lot of ladder work with handheld pruners or small loppers.
Electric Hedge Trimmers
These are best for exactly what they sound like – trimming bushes and hedges. There’s no better time saver in terms of turning an unruly bush into a neat and tidy hedge than electric hedge trimmers – doing this type of trimming by hand would take AGES … and you wouldn’t be as happy with the result at the end.
Pruning Shears
Pruning shears are hand-held “garden scissors”. These are best for working on twigs and very small branches. These are good to use when you’re working with trees or shrubs on ground level, but they’re also great to stick in your pocket when you’re climbing up a ladder because they are easy to carry and not particularly dangerous if they are dropped (but look out below, just in case!).
Chainsaw
Not everyone needs a chainsaw for their DIY gardening. If you only have young trees or smaller bushes, you can probably get by without one (and can just call in the pros if you need something like this for a job). But not all chainsaws are the massive, heavy gasoline powered ones people often think of. These days, chainsaws come in a variety of sizes, and there are plug-in and battery powered ones available for smaller jobs.
Ladder
This is an often-overlooked piece of yard equipment. Most people don’t really think too much about their ladder until they need it, and when you need it, it’s too late to be thinking too much about it! Your ladder is a vital piece of tree maintenance equipment, and as you literally count on it to keep you safe while you’re up in the air, it’s well worth investing in a safe (and probably new) one.
A Great Pair of Gardening Gloves
One of the most important aspects to consider in gardening gloves is the fit. These gloves will protect your hands from thorns, splinters, blisters, and cuts, but they can’t do that job effectively if they’re not secure on your hands. In fact, ill-fitting gloves can be a factor in minor gardening accidents, whether they result from dropping shears onto your foot, having your hand slip on the ladder, or creating more blisters than they prevent.
Eye Protection
We’re just going to go ahead and sound like your mom—PUT SOME EYE PROTECTION ON! This is one of the most common, and frankly dumbest, mistakes that people make when they’re working on their trees – not wearing any eye protection. We get it, it’s one more thing to think about that you don’t think you need. But it’s JUST one more thing, and it’s to protect one of the most vulnerable parts of your body. PUT SOME FREAKING GOGGLES ON if you’re going to work on your trees!
As always, the easiest and safest solution to maintaining your trees is to call in your local tree care service, like us here at Tree Images. We have all the right equipment, and you won’t even need to clean up afterwards!
