Trimming up conifers at this time of year?

[worriedsick100]

I have a large boundary of conifers at the bottom of my garden. They are hedged up to about 14 foot and then tree out with lots of branches. I have asked our gardeners to tidy the hedge area by trimming it up with hedge cutters. They are not known for their over activity and I was told that it was the wrong time of year to do this and would result in conifers going brown and that this should be a winter task. Does anyone now if this is true? Logically I would have thought now was better when there is sunshine and no frost but I have no idea. Thanks.

I think all trees are best cut in Autumn winter aren't they? When there is no sap rising or something. I cut the lower branches off my mum's conifers years ago in a mis-guided attempt to 'tidy them up', and they never re-grew. She was left with very bare trunks with just a tuft of green at the top

Think I did it at this time of year too.

oooh you may be right then - does that mean that arboriculturalists have no work in the summer then? no idea.

I suspect they are off somewhere sunny (they charge a LOT) down my way!

Just found this. Scroll down and it tells me what I did wrong, but looks like you may be ok before August. See what you think.

RHS gardening site

Hi, we have lots of conifers in are garden, we cut to a square shape all through the summer, being doing that for 9 years now, look great!

As a general rule you cut deciduous trees in the winter when they are dormant, and evergreens during the growing season, preferably spring. It's fine to cut your conifers now.

Almost finished my annual conifer pruning - here it depends on the weather and when it can be fitted in, so I'd ask someone else to do the pruning (no specific gardening knowledge required actually).

I've a small collection of conifers and none has ever turned brown after pruning.