My Go-To Gardening Tool - Felco #2 Pruners

“What is your Go-To Gardening tool?”

That is the question we posed to horticulture professionals and lifelong gardeners across the country. The answers may surprise you. Each gardener cited a different favorite. While some were very loyal to a specific brand, most simply choose the brand most readily available. Some owned a half dozen brands and some were clueless on brand but positively devoted to the tool

For this series, a “Go-To tool” is defined as a tool used almost daily or one that the gardeners simply couldn’t be without, even if used occasionally. In this series, each article will feature one gardener and their favorite GO-TO tool.

This week, we asked Garden writer and horticulturist Carol Reese.

Felco #2 Pruners - Carol Reese,  Horticulturist, Garden Writer, Author of GardenRant  

“Thirty something years ago I was too cheap to buy myself a pair of Felco No. 2 Pruners though I’d purchased a few pair for very loved gardening friends. Luckily, one returned the favor and those sharp, strong, thirty year-old pruners still sit at the back door next to my pile of mostly left-handed (?) gardening gloves.

Actually three pairs sit there now. The second pair eliminated shouts of first dibbs with my man friend. The third pair came when I lost the first pair in a creek for several months. Found and restored with a brisk cleaning and sharpening, they attest to the reputation of enduring hard use for a gardener’s lifetime.

My advice: spend the money!

Here’s why:

Durability - I personally attest to their reputation for durability. I’ve been at this a long time and still use my thirty year old pair.

Quality Product - Their strong steel construction cuts through thick woody stems without twisting the blades.  

Stays Sharp - The blades are easily sharpened with a diamond sharpening file and hold their precision edge for months!

Versatility - These pruners can snip delicate stems or trim leaves for cutting preparation with ease, even after cutting a woody branch. You can see the nice clean cut of some Wando Phlox I prepared for propagation.

Replaceable Spring - The coil spring can be replaced if necessary.

I do have one caveat. These are made for larger hands.”

Editor’s Note: Felco Pruners  are sold in most garden supply stores and can be purchased directly from their site. We recommend going to their website so you can decide which size is best for you. They even sell a left-handed version.

About Carol Reese - Carol Reese has been gardening for 65 years. “Mama gave me zinnia and marigold seeds to make my own “flower bed” beside the old well house, which I did from scratch at the age of 7, removing the St. Augustine, building edging from angled brick etc. I still remember the bright flowers.

Carol Reese is a retired Extension Horticulture Specialist housed at the University of Tennessee’s West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson. She is a nationally-known speaker, blending equal parts gardening knowledge, natural lore, and quirky humor. She is also the “Ranter Emeritus” at Garden Rant.