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Overgrown garden pruning

mandtpetersmandtpeters Posts: 7
in Plants
Hello! I have moved into a house with a beautiful but neglected tiny garden. I have been waiting for things to stop growing to allow me to give most of the plants a really good prune, however it is so mild here (Coastal Dorset) that I still have geraniums in flower in January. I need to prune back beautiful old roses, climbers and evergreens but am worried I might do a great deal of damage. If they don't stop flowering when should I prune? 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    You can prune most plants up until early spring - so around late Feb.
    I've had several winters when we've had no proper frost at all and it's what I do.
    If there is no cold spell before then, aim to prune mid-late Feb and you should be ok, it's a bit of a Hobson's Choice

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I think your roses should be fine to do now.
    https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/pages/advice-and-inspiration?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIveH38Jy79QIVyLHtCh2lxge_EAAYASAAEgJRvfD_BwE

    As for the evergreens and climbers, do you know which varieties they are ? If not, post some photos which may help with identification  :)
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Yes you may loose a few flowers but your Roses will flower a lot mor if you prune. In general if a shrub flowers early in the year (say by May or early June) pruning now you will lose this years flowers, so you may want to wait.  On the other hand if they are really overgrown,  you may have to sacrifice some or all of this seasons flowers to get the structure you need.  Later flowering ones will have time to regrow and bloom this season. 
    AB Still learning

  • mandtpetersmandtpeters Posts: 7
    Thank you everyone for your advice. It sounds like the roses are going to be fine but maybe I'll take it gently with the climbers.  I've got a huge pittosporum and think I might just have to turn it into a tree by taking out some lower branches as I believe trying to reduce the height may make it look lopped off and not very attractive.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Sounds like a good plan for the pittisporum,  they are very adaptable.   Some of your pruning can be done in stages rather than trying to do it all in one big hit. It really depends on what you want to achieve.  Remember hard pruning in winter generally stimulates a lot of growth,  as the plants will try to rebalance themselves, to their root systems.  
    AB Still learning

  • mandtpetersmandtpeters Posts: 7
    Thank you Allotment Boy, I didn't know that about rebalancing. That's really helpful!
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    @mandtpeters, I did the same to a large pittosporum when we moved in here 15 years ago. Took off the lower branches to create a multi-stemmed tree. It's now about 10 ft high so I've had it trimmed a couple of times over the years into a dome shape. It grows quite fast and tends to shade our bedroom window. The perfume from the tiny black flowers around April in the evenings is wonderful and sultry.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • mandtpetersmandtpeters Posts: 7
    Thank you for sharing this Lizzie 27 as it is rather a daunting prospect to do, but clearly works.  I look forward to warm April evenings as I'm sure do most of us.
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