Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Garden Equipment

Connie writes~ After I prune a diseased plant, I feel that I should sterilize the pruners to prevent spreading the contamination. What is the best way to do this?

A. By all means, the pruners should be sterilized after such use and after any use at all, healthy or sick plants involved. They should be sharpened each spring so that the cuts they make are straight across and not a squished mess. The 'blood vessels' of a plant go through the stems so you need a clean cut straight across.

When pruning diseased branches such as those with fireblight, sterilize the tools after each cut. Dip blades in rubbing alcohol or a solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water.