The gardener’s shears as a yield tool: cutting back branches or roots of trees and shrubs to chosen lengths and positions. Thoughtful cutting opens the canopy to light and air, invigorates growth, shapes the plant, and raises both the quantity and eating quality of the fruit. Timing and technique vary by species: fruit trees, vines, and berry bushes each have their own pruning calendar. Done badly it wounds and stresses; done well it renews fruiting wood, eases harvest and spraying, and keeps orchards productive for decades.