Can I prune overgrown shrubs in July?

rosie383

I know I can't prune back when the birds are nesting but I think they've finished by now.
I have lots of lovely shrubs around my garden which seemed ok in early spring but they are massive now.
The ones that have finished flowering can I cut them back? My lovely raised bed that hubby made me is completely overshadowed now.

Not sure (actually clueless) what any if them are so if someone can give an idiot's guide to posting pictures then you can all have fun helping me to identify them.

sheramber

You can prune them but depending on what wood they flower on you may not get any blossom next year.

generally, prune spring flowering bushes immediately after flowering as the next year's flower buds develop on the new growth.

Summer/ autumn flowering bushes should be pruned when dormant - deciduous pruned between October and March. evergreen between November and April.

Grenage

rosie383 wrote: »

I know I can't prune back when the birds are nesting but I think they've finished by now.

Most UK birds stop nesting by the end of August (I have blackbirds nesting in my Jasmine) - but it's not a problem as long as you check before you prune.

rosie383

Thank you all. I will check and only cut back what is absolutely necessary and bird-free niw.

elsien

TO post pictures, you need to use a photo hosting site such as tinypic, and copy the URL across.
We do like a spot of plant identification on here.