Tidying up early?

[Mimi]

Need some info guys.  I usually prune and cut things back in the autumn, but this year I will be away from first week in October until well into November.  What I want to know is can I start pruning  from begining of September.  All my shrubs are well established and will take over if I dont get it done.  I know that I can do it in the new year but prefer to do it in autumn if I can as winters can be very very wet here in North Wales and I dont want to be out in the garden then......brrrrrrr just thinking about it!

[laurieuk]

If you do it this late and we have a warm spell you can get very soft new growth that can be dammaged in the winter. If it is all shrubs I would leave it until late Feb. early March. I am in the South.

[Palustris]

We had to do as much of ours as possible last September (supposed to have had an op on my foot in October) and the things survived. I t was a pretty hard winter too. Go for it, the only bits to suffer were the few things which did regrow and it was only the new growth which was damaged, the rest of the plant was ok.

[Mimi]

Thanks guys.  I knew some wise old bird would point me in the right direction.