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How to use harvesting scissors

Updated: 22 October 2026

You already own a pair of harvest snips, and the next stem is either a soft side shoot or something that should have stayed on the shrub. How to use harvesting scissors comes down to three habits: put the cut in the right place, close the point before it meets a pocket, and wipe the blade before you put the tool away. This is not a ranking of the eight amazon.co.uk pairs. Peter F. wrote it on 21 October 2026 from Royal Horticultural Society guidance, Gardeners' World, Okatsune's UK notes, and the review complaints in the [Harvesting scissors comparison](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/harvesting-scissors). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. If the stem is woody, stop and change tool.

You already own a pair of harvest snips, and the next stem is either a soft side shoot or something that should have stayed on the shrub.

Our top picks

Gardena Gardena FreshCut

Best overall

Gardena Gardena FreshCut
8.7/10about £15.02
View offer
forest Originals Saboten PT-16F

Alternative

forest Originals Saboten PT-16F
7.9/10about £21.59
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forest Originals Saboten SD-8

Alternative

forest Originals Saboten SD-8
7.8/10about £13.19
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On this page
  1. 1.Where the cut goes
  2. 2.Soft herbs, then the rosemary stop
  3. 3.Close the point
  4. 4.Wipe the blade, then stop

Where the cut goes

Many spent blooms never need the blades. The Royal Horticultural Society says finger and thumb are enough for a lot of bedding, and that you reach for scissors or secateurs when the stem is thick, tough or stringy. When you do cut, take the stalk back to just above the next bud or leaf, rather than leaving a long stub. The same society puts the cut where the flower stem joins the main stem, and it tells you to leave young buds alone.

Soft herbs, then the rosemary stop

Herbs that stay soft follow Gardeners' World. Cut chives to the base of the clump. Parsley comes away as a whole leaf and stalk, and you leave the oldest leaves if the plant is struggling. Basil is a tip just above a pair of leaves. Rosemary is the stop line: leafy shoots of about 10 to 15 cm go to secateurs, and you do not cut back into bare wood. That job is on harvesting scissors versus secateurs.
Gardena Gardena FreshCut

Testsieger

Gardena Gardena FreshCut
8.7/10about £15.02
View offer

Close the point

Shut the blades and set the lock, or fit the cap, before the snips go into a pocket, a trug or a jacket. The hazard is the point. A magnetic reopen is not safer than a spring. It only changes how the handles spring apart once you release the catch. On the Saboten PT-16F, UK reviews praise the light angled tip and then say the safety lock is fiddly, sits in the way, or does not close cleanly. On the PLACHIDAY pair, reviewers say the lock is flimsy, hard to open, or trying to close while they cut. If the lever will not clear the edge, stop using that pair for pocket carry.

Wipe the blade, then stop

Sap left on the blade is why a snip starts to stick. Okatsune's UK notes say to wipe it, use a little olive oil or camellia oil on sticky residue, and avoid harsh chemicals, then store the blade closed. One UK review of the Saboten SD-8 said the blades would not cut gardening twine. Wash before food. Only the FreshCut says the steel is food safe. Stop for woody stems or high work. At work, PUWER 1998 is an employer duty. The lock and the tip are in the harvesting scissors buying guide.

Common questions

Where do you cut a spent flower?
Cut back to just above the next bud or leaf, or take the flower stem off where it joins the main stem if that is how the plant is built. The Royal Horticultural Society keeps finger and thumb for many bedding plants and moves you to a blade when the stem is thick or stringy. Leave young buds. On a hybrid tea rose, snap the old head off below the flower.
Can you deadhead with finger and thumb?
Yes, for a lot of soft bedding. The RHS treats that pinch as the normal method and treats scissors as the step up for tougher stalks. Snips earn their place when your fingers cannot get between the stems, or when the stalk is stringy enough to tear. They are a poor substitute for secateurs once the growth has ripened into wood. If the pinch bruises the stem, move to a sharp blade and shorten the cut to the next leaf.
How do you pick basil, chives and parsley?
Take basil as a tip just above a pair of leaves, so you do not leave a bare stub. Cut chives to the base. Take parsley as a whole leaf and stalk back at the clump, and spare the oldest leaves if the plant is tired. Gardeners' World lists scissors for those three. The same guide moves rosemary onto secateurs, at about 10 to 15 cm of leafy shoot, and tells you to stay out of leafless wood.
Why lock the blades before they go in a pocket?
The point is sharp enough to reach between stems, which means it is sharp enough to meet your hand or your leg if the blades travel open. Close the lock or fit the cap first. A spring and a magnet both open the tool once the catch is off, so neither reopen is a safety feature by itself. UK reviews already describe locks that fail to seat on the PT-16F and locks that move during the cut on the PLACHIDAY pair.
How do you get sap off the blade?
Wipe it at the end of the job. Okatsune suggests a little olive oil or camellia oil for sticky residue, and says to skip harsh chemicals, then dry the blade and store it closed. A cloth after deadheading is enough for a normal evening. If the pivot is gritty, clear the grit, oil lightly, and stop once the blades meet again.
What should you do with a lock that is hard to set?
Stop forcing it. On the pairs where UK reviews already call the lock fiddly or flimsy, a hard push usually bends the lever or teaches it to spring shut while you cut. If it will not stay open or closed, keep that pair off your pocket. A lost rubber loop, as on the Dr.Cut, means the tool stays on a hook until the loop is back.

Related pages

Harvesting scissors for herbs

Best harvesting scissors

Harvesting scissors

Harvesting scissors buying guide: tip, lock, price

Harvesting scissors vs secateurs: soft stems or wood

Sources

Public UK sources used for the snip-versus-secateur split, deadheading, herb picking, product safety and faulty goods. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved for this comparison.

  1. RHS — deadheading plants (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. RHS — growing herbs (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Gardeners' World — how to pick herbs (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Okatsune UK — snips versus secateurs (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. The English Garden — pruning tools (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Gardena UK — FreshCut (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. GOV.UK — General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22.10.2026)