Gifts for houseplant lovers

What actually matters

A specification is a figure or material name that the manufacturer chooses to print on its product page. The tools on this page list up to seven kinds of detail: blade material, handle material, length, width, depth, weight and cut capacity. No single tool lists all seven, so the first step is to see which of them each listing actually gives you.

Blade material is the first line to read on any cutting tool, because it names what the cutting edge is made of. The manufacturer lists stainless steel for the Burgon & Ball houseplant pruner, the terrarium tool set, the orchid snips and the trowel. It lists high carbon steel for the Japanese pruning scissors and high-carbon steel for the Corona bypass pruner. That gives you two groups to sort by, stainless steel on one side and high carbon steel on the other. Match the group to the job you have in mind, since a trowel and a pair of snips are built for different work.

Handle material shapes how the tool feels in your hand, so it is worth reading next. The manufacturer lists thermoplastic rubber for the Burgon & Ball houseplant pruner and orchid snips. It lists FSC hardwood for the planting trowel and reinforced nylon for the Corona pruner. The terrarium tool set and the Japanese scissors list no handle material, so there is nothing to compare for those two.

Length is the overall size of the tool, and it tells you how far the tool reaches. The listings run from 6 in (15.2 cm) for the orchid snips to 10.2 in (26 cm) for the trowel. Width and depth describe the footprint, and the terrarium tool set lists 1.8 in (4.5 cm) wide and 0.8 in (2 cm) deep. The trowel lists a width of 4.3 in (11 cm), which is more than double that of the terrarium set. Pick the width that fits the size of the container you plan to use it in.

Weight is listed only for the trowel, at 8.5 oz (240 g). A weight figure shows how much the tool adds to your hand over a long session of potting. The other five listings give no weight, so you cannot compare them on that point.

Cut capacity is the thickest stem a pruner is rated to cut. The manufacturer lists 5/8 in (1.6 cm) for the Corona bypass pruner. None of the other five tools lists a cut capacity, so for those you have only the length and width to judge by. Treat a cut capacity as a limit, and keep to stems that are thinner than the figure.

A longer tool such as the 10.2 in (26 cm) trowel gives you more reach, and it also weighs 8.5 oz (240 g). A shorter tool such as the 6 in (15.2 cm) orchid snips takes up less room in your hand and on the shelf. Together, length, width and weight give you a rough picture of the size of the tool before it arrives. Read each figure as the manufacturer's statement about one point only, and weigh the figures against each other.

Which one for whom

If you are buying for a person with small pots on a windowsill, length and width are the figures to check. The orchid snips list 6 in (15.2 cm) by 2 in (5 cm), and the houseplant pruner lists 6.1 in (15.5 cm) by 2 in (5 cm). Both list thermoplastic rubber handles.

If the gift is for a terrarium builder, look at width and depth first. The terrarium tool set lists 1.8 in (4.5 cm) wide and 0.8 in (2 cm) deep, and it is the only listing with a depth figure. Its length of 8.5 in (21.5 cm) shows how far it reaches into a container.

If the plant lover repots large containers, the trowel's width of 4.3 in (11 cm) and weight of 8.5 oz (240 g) are the figures to read. The trowel also lists an FSC hardwood handle. No other tool on this page lists a weight, so that figure cannot be compared across the set.

If the person trims woody stems, cut capacity is the figure that matters. Only the Corona pruner lists one, at 5/8 in (1.6 cm). It also lists a reinforced nylon handle and a high-carbon steel blade.

If the person prefers a particular steel, use blade material to choose. Stainless steel is listed for four of the tools, and high carbon steel is listed for the Japanese pruning scissors. The Corona pruner lists high-carbon steel.

A gift with several listed figures gives the person more to check against the tools they already own.

Setup and use

A pruner is read by its cut capacity, which the Corona listing gives as 5/8 in (1.6 cm). A trowel is read by its width and weight, which the Burgon & Ball listing gives as 4.3 in (11 cm) and 8.5 oz (240 g). A terrarium tool is read by its width and depth, listed as 1.8 in (4.5 cm) and 0.8 in (2 cm). Blade material is the next line to check, and the manufacturer names stainless steel for four of the six tools. Handle material is listed for four of the six, so check it before you decide on the grip. Length is listed for five of the six tools, and the Corona pruner's listing gives none. Compare the listed length with the space you have, since length is the overall size of the tool. Weight is listed only for the trowel, so it has no match on this page. Treat any missing line as a gap in the listing, and check the manufacturer's page for the full details.

Questions and answers

What does cut capacity mean on a pruner?

Cut capacity is the thickest stem a pruner is rated to cut. The Corona Ergonomic Bypass Pruner lists a cut capacity of 5/8 in (1.6 cm). Check the manufacturer's figure for the pruner you choose before you use it on thicker stems.

Which blade materials do these tools list?

The manufacturer lists stainless steel for four of the Burgon & Ball tools. It lists high carbon steel for the Japanese pruning scissors. The Corona pruner lists high-carbon steel. Each name comes from the manufacturer's own product page for that tool.

How do I compare the size of different tools?

Start with the listed length, which runs from 6 in (15.2 cm) for the orchid snips to 10.2 in (26 cm) for the trowel. Then check width, which is 2 in (5 cm) for the orchid snips and 4.3 in (11 cm) for the trowel. These are manufacturer-stated figures.