How to remove Phormium Leaves?

Hello all

I Hope you are Well.

I have Two Phormiums in my Back Garden, a Green Variegated variety and a Purple variety.

Removing Dead or Damaged Leaves from the Purple Variety is relatively Easy, they just Pull Off.

Removing Dead or Damaged Leaves from the Green Variegated variety requires a Truck

Any Tips on how to remove the Dead or Damaged Leaves?

I have a Garden Knife with a Curved Blade, which in Theory should be ideal, however, it is as useful as a Chocolate Teapot and my Secateurs, even though they are Sharp, will not Cut the Leaves.

I have also tried Sharpening the Knife but it does not seem to want to be Sharpened.

Any recommendations on Tools, Knives etc. that would work in this case given the restricted space?

Thanks in advance

Kevin

 

I use a pair of sharp scissors @Kevin Cowans. You have to get the angle right when cutting but you'll soon find it. Last year I tried pulling a few not quite brown ones off a Phormium in my sloping border and ended three steps down, demolishing a rotten Lilac in the process. Luckily only the lilac was damaged .

 

I tend to agree, there are some things, mostly fibrous, that secateurs don't cut well, also a blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one.

I think you can buy heavy duty gardening scissors, but if not a decent pair of kitchen scissors should work.
I have similar problems with yucca leaves that look tatty but are not yet ready to come away with a sharp tug.

 

Definitely sharp scissors. Secateurs are useless for that.
I have a couple of pairs of snips, and they're quite good for narrower foliage, but scissors are easiest. If you pull the leaf slightly to get it really taut, that also helps.