Over her decades as the original home influencer, Martha Stewart has likely encountered every form of garden equipment, so naturally, she knows which tools are the very best.
When it comes to essential pruning essentials, her team uses Okatsune secateurs (available at Amazon), and she ensures they're maintained every week to guarantee their longevity and improve overall plant health.
On her blog, Marha shared a step-by-step guide to the cleaning process, including photos of the pruners in question, as well as a description of what makes them a cut above the rest.
'These are Okatsune secateurs. Everyone on my crew has a pair. Bypass garden pruners such as these make nice, clean cuts using two curved blades that bypass each other in the same manner as a pair of scissors. One blade is sharpened on the outside edge and slips by a thicker, unsharpened blade,' Martha says.
Made from the finest Japanese steel, this razor-sharp pruner is a staple in the tool bag of everyone on Martha's gardening crew. It features a vinyl-coated handle for a non-slip grip, making it easier to trim plants, allowing them to heal quickly and grow beautifully. If it's endorsed by Martha, it's good enough for us.
Purchasing the best pruners is one thing, but maintaining them is another. As promised, however, Martha has a simple cleaning method that her gardeners follow every week. It only takes a few minutes, and you only need a coarse cleaning block, a whetstone, and oil.
'If you're an avid gardener, you know sharp pruning tools not only make chores easier to complete, but they also make cleaner cuts, which allow plants to heal faster. Making clean cuts also exposes them to less damage from diseases, insects, fungi, and weather extremes,' Martha says.
'My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew clean, sharpen, and condition their pruners, snips, and shears every few days. The process only takes a few minutes, and it keeps these gardening implements in proper working order.'
First, she suggests using a cleaning block to remove any dirt. Choose one with a slightly rough texture (like this one from Amazon) for removing grime from the blades. As you clean, it's essential to remove all the dirt from the metal parts – anything left on the tools can attract and hold moisture, causing rust.
Next, you use the whetstone to sharpen the pruner's edges. Martha recommends soaking the stone for a few minutes before sharpening. 'A wet stone will help keep the pores of the stone clean, dissipate frictional heat, and ensure smooth sharpening,' she says. Hergardener holds the whetstone at an angle to sharpen the edges and maintain the bevel.
'The bevel is what makes a tool sharp, and blades are factory ground to a precise angle that’s just right for each tool,' Martha says.
Finally, you lubricate the pruners with multi-purpose oil (like this one from Amazon). This oil is the traditional Japanese choice for protecting tools from rust. This oil leaves a deep, non-oily, and odorless finish,' Martha says.
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