In the second part of her special focus on jobs to get done during the colder months, Eli Appleby-Donald walks us through the easy way to sharpen those secateurs, ready for whatever pruning jobs the garden throws at us.

For those who know me, it is no secret that I have a bit of an obsession with sharpening tools and knives – I have come to appreciate the difference sharp secateurs can make in the garden too. I believe in taking care of our equipment, ensuring they are properly sharp to perform their tasks efficiently and safely (OK, I admit it, my background is in woodwork and I appreciate a sharp chisel).

Many people are hesitant to sharpen their own tools, worrying that it is complicated and risky, or that they will somehow ruin their beloved secateurs. Trust me, it is so much easier than you think and you will not ruin them.

The Basics of Garden Tool Sharpening

Let us begin by shedding some light on the fundamentals of garden hand tools and the level of sharpness needed for tasks like cutting tender stems without crushing them. The emphasis is on what some refer to as ‘field sharpening’, a quick and straightforward method – we are not aiming to work to the same level as a chef’s knife.

Understanding the Edge

Before we start, grab a sharp kitchen knife and a pair of secateurs from your garden tool collection.

Now, take a good look at the knife blade. You will notice two small, shallow bevels on each side that give the blade its pointed edge (you might need those reading glasses to see, they will be small).

Shift your attention to the secateurs and you will notice a key difference – they have only one bevelled edge and it is probably a bit bigger and easier to see.

Understanding this concept of an edge is the secret to sharpening your tools, because when it comes to sharpening, you are only working on the edge itself. That bevelled part is the edge. It is all about making that edge as thin and even as possible, which is what allows it to cut effectively.

How to Sharpen

When we see professionals sharpen tools, they will usually take them apart so that they only have that single metal blade in their hand. They will use something known as a wet stone or oil stone. It is a slightly more complicated procedure than we use for our garden tools. Instead, we keep our tools as one piece (no need to dismantle them), and use a small, pocket-sized sharpening tool.

Holding your secateurs in one hand with the blade facing up towards the ceiling, lightly drag your sharpening tool along the edge, trying to match the angle of the bevel – so not on top of the blade but at the same angle as that bevel we looked at earlier. No need to overthink it, let the edge and the tool guide you rather than forcing it. And that is it!

A couple of minutes of this process and you will have successfully sharpened your secateurs. To complete the process, run your thumb across the flat back of the blade you have just sharpened, feeling for a slight roughness. This is called a burr, and is the result of those minuscule metal bits that were pushed aside during sharpening. Simply pass your sharpening tool flat along the back surface to remove the burr.

Tools to Use

Sharpening tools come in various types, but for garden tool sharpening, you do not need to invest in a wet stone or a strop used for razor-sharp edges. Instead, a quick sharpening tool or a pocket stone is recommended. These tools are designed for quick and convenient sharpening while you are working in the garden. They may not provide a razor-sharp edge or a mirror finish, but they will make your tools sharp enough to tackle pruning and cutting tasks in the garden with minimal damage to plants.

Follow all of the above steps and you will be pruning with precision!

Eli Appleby-Donald, of @inthegardenwitheliandkate, tends a productive garden in East Lothian on the principle that gardening should be fun. She has an urban garden which she has managed to make as beautiful and productive as possible, given it is north facing and mostly in shade. She considers herself a perpetual learner gardener, and has spent the last 11 years learning by experience, success, and failure.

The lack of good information about growing in Scotland when she started spurred Eli into putting those skills in action, and she regularly blogs and vlogs about gardening on her own website and YouTube channel, as well as appearing as a guest on others worldwide.

You can find out more about Eli and all the fun of creating your own suburban garden paradise on either her YouTube channel or website.