How Often to Sanitize Pruning Equipment

Q. How often do you sanitize your pruning shears and what do you use?

Loppers are sanitized with an alcohol wipe before pruning begins for the day.

How to sanitize pruning shears

A. The primary reason I start my pruning day with an alcohol spray or alcohol wipes applied to pruning blades is for sanitary reasons. First, I clean the blades with soap and water and then sanitize them when finished. Chances are probably one in 500 that it’s not needed, but it’s that one case in 500 where sanitation is important because of diseases.

            I usually only sanitize the blades of my hand shears and loppers. I sanitize the saw blade only when it’s needed which is seldom if I prune every year. I start pruning with loppers first and finish pruning with my hand shears. Once the lopper blades have been sanitized, they are never placed on the ground again. There are at least five plant disease problems found in soil. Instead, they are hung around my neck or on a limb of the next tree I will be pruning.

            If a tree looks like it may have a disease problem, I sanitize equipment that I use after I finish pruning. If it’s a highly virulent disease like fire blight, the blades are sanitized between each pruning cut.

See the whole video on sharpening, adjust and sanitizing pruning equipment here.