Tools & Gardening Tips
Which tool to use for cutting flowers in the garden: Japanese secateur or scissors?
Cutting a spent flower or picking a fresh stem calls for the same gesture.
In both cases, it means intervening with precision, without crushing the stem or damaging the plant.
A clean cut allows the plant to heal properly, and helps cut flowers last longer.
The choice of tool depends less on the type of flower than on the quality of the cut.
Cutting in the garden: a simple, repeated gesture
In the garden, cutting is one of those gestures we repeat day after day.
Removing a spent flower, taking a stem, accompanying the plant in its growth: quiet gestures, but essential ones. They require little force, yet a great deal of precision.
Intervening at the right spot, at the right time, with the right tool is enough to accompany the plant without constraining it.
A clean cut, always
What matters above all is the quality of the cut.
A sharp blade cuts cleanly, without crushing the tissue. The gesture is safer, cleaner, and the plant responds better.
A blunt or unsuitable tool, on the other hand, crushes the stem, slows healing and weakens the plant.
Cutting flowers day to day
Removing spent flowers stimulates the plant and extends flowering. The gesture is light, often repeated. It means taking away the dry part without damaging the stem or the new growth.
Cutting a fresh flower calls for particular care. A clean, precise cut is essential to preserve the stem and ensure good vase life. Cutting at a slight angle improves water absorption and extends the life of the flowers.
Japanese forged secateurs and scissors, born of an ancestral craft, are particularly well suited to precise, repeated use. Their balance, the fineness of their blade and the quality of their forging produce a clean cut, even on fine stems.
To find out more, discover our article on Japanese gardening tools.
Depending on the situation, the most common choices are:
- a fine secateur, for small stems and precise gestures: we offer a model with red handles or one with rattan-wrapped handles
- garden scissors, for narrow areas or delicate flowers: the traditional Sentei scissors or the long Sentei scissors
© Photographs by Eléonore Wallet and Jardiniste. All rights reserved, reproduction prohibited.
Cutting Tools for the Garden
A gesture that accompanies the plant
Cutting is not simply about removing.
It is a gesture that accompanies the plant, day after day.
We remove what fades, we take what is ready, we make room for what is coming.
Nothing spectacular, just what is needed, at the right moment.
Frequently asked questions
A fine Japanese secateur or garden scissors are the most suitable tools. Their sharp blade produces a clean cut without crushing the stem, which promotes healing and extends flowering.
Not always. Scissors work well for delicate flowers and very precise gestures, while a fine secateur is better suited when the stem calls for a cleaner cut.
A clean cut promotes the plant’s healing and improves the vase life of cut flowers.