Beautiful shrubs, like from a glossy gardening theme, are the dream of every second owner of their own house or summer cottage. Do you think that in order to create a site design structure, it is necessary to invite a professional? Not at all, it is enough to choose a quality brush cutter and take into account a few rules. Read more about the features of garden equipment and the specifics of pruning shrubs — later in the article.

How to use a brush cutter: the main points

A brush cutter is one of the most effective means of creating a beautiful and well-groomed yard. The tool will help to cope with such tasks as:

• freeing areas from tall tree grasses, seedlings or shrubs;
• the formation of a hedge from woody or herbaceous plants;
• cultivation of planting areas where it is impossible to use a lawn mower.

Before you start cutting bushes with a brush cutter, you should correctly choose garden tools based on the tasks and plants planted. On the market there are models powered by the mains, as well as gasoline and battery devices.

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Electrical

The operation of this category of devices is provided by an electric motor, and for pruning plants, a connection to the mains is required. Some of the benefits of electric hedge trimmers include:

• low cost, which makes the device accessible to a wide range of users;
• relatively small weight (up to 3 kg);
• no vibration during operation.

Chain cutters are easy to use, but the only downside is the cord. Therefore, if you decide how to cut bushes with a brush cutter, you should take care of the extension cord.

On average, the power of such devices varies from 380 to 450 watts. The cross section can reach 25 mm, they can be used to trim young shoots. However, the latter indicator is 15 mm less than that of gasoline counterparts.

Despite the advantages, electrical appliances have disadvantages:

1. Constant need for power supply and dependence on the mains voltage.
2. Cord gets in the way while cutting.
3. There is a risk of cutting the cable in case of careless handling of the device.

Despite a number of limitations and difficulties in operating a brush cutter, it is this category that is most popular among gardeners. The factors determining the choice, in this case, are the affordable price, the ease of the device and, of course, the minimum cost of operation. Also, the device can be installed on a bar, and then used to trim the hedge without the use of ladders.

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Petrol

The principle of operation and the drive device of this group of devices are very similar to chainsaws or lawn mowers. The only exception is the segment in which the cutting elements are mounted. These are segments of knives that slide over the structure.

Gasoline-powered appliances are rightfully considered the most powerful among mechanized equipment. For example, some models cut branches with a diameter of up to 40 mm without any problems.

The tool can be used to maintain the garden and restore an abandoned summer cottage. The high power of the motor (550-700 W) allows you to cut not only young shoots, but also perennial branches. In this case, the entire load is distributed to the cutting elements, and therefore they can become dull and deformed.

If you still do not know how to use a brush cutter and which version of the device to choose, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of gasoline devices.

Hedge trimmers running on gasoline are equipped with two-stroke engines. Therefore, it may be difficult to start the device due to low temperatures in early spring or late autumn. The price of the device and the cost of pruning plants is much higher than in versions with electrical appliances.

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Rechargeable

This is a category of wireless electrical devices that are powered by a battery. In this case, the weight of the brush cutter increases, which creates some difficulties in operation. Among the advantages:

• absolute absence of noise during operation,
• the ability not to depend on the mains;
• affordable cost of using the device.

The battery charge allows you to work as a brush cutter for half an hour or more (depending on the model of the device). In this case, the power of the device depends on the capacity of the battery. A 35 V battery may well give odds to gasoline devices. Moreover, both categories of devices work almost at the same level.

Among the disadvantages of such devices is the high cost (8-9 thousand hryvnia) and the need to purchase a spare battery. The fact is that battery life for an hour is not always enough for a complete pruning of shrubs.

Safety

To work with a brush cutter was comfortable, in the process of forming a hedge, a number of rules should be followed:

1. Make sure you can stand on your feet while using the appliance. If the plant is too tall, a stable standing support should be found. A stool or stepladder on the ground is not the best idea.
2. Before starting the device, make sure that it is in good order and ready for use: there is no corrosion on the cutting elements, all removable elements are securely screwed on, and the filters responsible for moving air flows are cleaned.
3. During operation, it is not recommended to overload, otherwise the device will fail prematurely.
4. If you want to achieve a beautiful result when pruning plants, you should move forward moderately. For example, to shorten the branches, it is necessary to use the movements of the pendulum, starting from the lower leaves to the upper ones.
5. In the process of work, try not to touch the ground with cutting elements, otherwise the blades may jam.
6. When pruning shrubs, only the motor should be turned towards you, and the knives should be in the direction of the plant. This will protect against injury in case of strong vibrations or solid objects entering the device. If this happens, you should carefully turn off the device, otherwise there is a risk of damaging the blades.
7. When working with electrical devices, you must use an extension cord with a grounding terminal. To avoid accidental cutting of the cord, just throw it over your shoulder or fold it on the opposite side of the blade.

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Cutting bushes with a brush cutter: rules for pruning plants

Compliance with safety regulations and the choice of a powerful brush cutter is only 50% on the way to ideal plants on the site. In order for the appearance of the site to fascinate with wonderful forms, and pruning brings pleasure, you should familiarize yourself with the rules for caring for specific plants, as well as learn the key features.

When forming the top of a hedge from shrubs, it is better to move the blades horizontally, and when processing the side surfaces — vertically and always from the ground to the top.

For trimming internal branches and knots, it is better to use garden shears or a gasoline brush cutter.
The optimal time for cutting plants is late evening or early morning, because. direct sunlight can burn the ends of freshly cut branches.

If you need to cut the branches of fruit plants, it is better to choose a high-power electric model, but for working with thick trunks, it is better to use a saw.

The care algorithm is simple. First you need to shorten the stem of the plant. For a hedge, this is 1.4-1.6 m, and in the case of young fruit trees, up to 2 m. The next step is to remove the shoots that grow towards the inside of the crown. The fact is that these branches are the cause of the reproduction of diseases and bacteria. The correct form of the plant is a bowl with emptiness inside. Then you need to cut the branches of the skeleton. The optimal length of this category of shoots is 1.7 m for shrubs and about 2.3 m for trees. The final stage is the stopping of cross shoots that grow from the root of the plant.


It is necessary to prune plants at a clearly allotted time. Otherwise, the procedure may lead to the death of plants. Form should be built gradually. You should also pay attention to the type of plant. Deciduous plantings should be pruned regularly, while conifers should not be touched after the 20th of August, as new branches will not have time to stiffen before the onset of winter.

Summing up, it is worth noting that pruning plants will be effective only if the type of device is correctly selected and the rules of work are followed. There is no other way to beautiful plants on the site.

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