Before you begin be sure to put down an old sheet or a drop cloth as each cut will bleed a sticky sap that can damage your floor and irritate skin. Outdoor ferns also get scales but you should try controlling them with oil based spray pesticides instead of pruning. 1 The hooked anvil side of the pruner holds stems or wood in place while the curved blade slices through it. Pruning shears scissors . Before you make the first snip stand back look at your bush and decide how to shape it. They are among the largest types of garden hand tools available and are ideal for pruning branches that are too big for pruning shears to cope with. Lets be clear on the difference between trimming and pruning. Bypass pruner trim tough sticky stems and branches with trim tough sticky stems and branches with the fiskars bypass pruner. Scissors are hand operated shearing tools. Sterilize pruning shears in a 20 percent bleach and water mixture 1 part...