Small precision scissors, and the most-used tool of the whole indoor garden. At 10.8 cm long they fit in an apron pocket and serve for just about everything that gets cut fine.

What they do better than a knife or a pruner: harvest microgreens flush with the medium in one clean stroke, without pulling up the mat; pinch the flower buds off basil and savory to prolong leaf production; thin seedlings by cutting at the collar rather than pulling, which avoids disturbing the roots of the neighbours you're keeping; sucker tomatoes; and cut herbs stem by stem in the kitchen.

Carbon steel is a choice, with its trade-off. It takes and keeps a far sharper edge than stainless, which is exactly what you want on a tender stem: a clean cut heals fast, a crushed cut is a doorway for disease. In exchange, it rusts if left wet. A wipe with a cloth after use, and they'll last for years.

The hygiene step that matters: wipe the blades with alcohol when moving from one plant to another while pruning, especially in tomatoes and peppers. Nightshade viruses transmit very well by blade, and one sick plant can contaminate a whole row in a single pruning session.

• Measures 10.8 cm × 2 cm (4.3" × 0.8").
• Made of premium carbon steel: sharp, durable edge.
• Wipe after use — carbon steel rusts if left damp.
• For: harvesting microgreens, pinching, thinning, suckering, herbs in the kitchen.