when is the best time to prune roses & top Conifers??

Hi all any advice appreciated when is the best time to trim or lop conifers? and the best time to prune rose trees? i have never done either last year i had a tree surgeon lop the conifers he charged me £360 :( so this year i am going to trim them my self!!! well next year there is only a few days left they are not as high now thankfully as i am scared of hight thanks for any advice Nick

 

My neighbour has given me permission to top/chop two young leylandiis, self-seeded, that are on her side of the fence but very close to our common wall. I don't care if it's the right time or not, I'll be getting these firmly under control asap, maybe the week after Christmas but definitely before Spring arrives.

 

I'm still learning, but from what I understand, birds nest and lay eggs at certain times of the year in hedges, and that is the time that hedges such as Leylandii should not be pruned?

not sure if it is now, or in spring?

 

any more advice apreciated

 

Conifers : I tend to trim these whenever I like really, though more often then not it's usually Autumn

Roses : again, usually the tail end of autumn / start of winter, when most leaves that are going to drop have done. I've done all mine this year.

 

I have read that rose bushes are pruned in spring when the Forsythia are in bloom ....

crawling/creeping roses are pruned at the end of october ...

I may be wrong?

 

No Dim, you could be right ... I've seen/heard both ... however thats when I do mine, and they dont seem to mind (that I can tell !)