Autumn is the right time for some pruning and completely the wrong time for the rest. The short rule: cut what flowers in summer, wait with what flowers in spring. The labour is RUT-eligible at 50 percent.
What to cut now
| Plant | When in autumn | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spruce, thuja and yew hedges | Early autumn | Cuts heal before the frost |
| Currants and gooseberries | After harvest, late summer to early autumn | Opens the bush and improves next year's crop |
| Dead and damaged branches | Any time | Better down before snow weighs them |
| Summer-flowering shrubs | Late autumn or winter | They flower on new growth and take no harm |
| Shaping young trees | Late autumn | The tree is dormant and the structure is visible |
One good reason to take the dead branches before winter: wet snow on an already damaged branch is what finally brings it down, usually onto something you would rather it missed.
What must wait
Spring-flowering shrubs. They have already formed next spring's buds. Cut them now and you cut off the flowering.
That includes:
- Lilac
- Forsythia
- Mock orange
- Serviceberry
- Rhododendron and azalea
Prune these immediately after flowering in spring instead, before next year's buds have formed.
Perennials can be left standing. The seed heads feed birds, hollow stems shelter insects over winter, and they look striking in frost. Cut them down in spring instead. The exception is anything hit by fungus or mildew, which should come out and should not be composted.
Fruit trees and the JAS period
Fruit trees are best pruned during the JAS period, meaning July, August and September (juli, augusti, september). In those months cut surfaces heal fastest and the risk of fungal infection is lowest.
If you miss JAS, the next best window is late winter, in March, while the tree is still dormant and before the sap rises.
Late autumn is the worst option. The tree cannot heal before the cold, and damp autumn weather favours exactly the diseases you want to avoid.
Old, badly overgrown fruit trees should not be cut back hard in one go. Take at most a quarter of the crown per year, or the tree responds with a thicket of water shoots.
Hedge cutting
The final cut should happen while it is still mild, so early autumn rather than late. A hedge cut in November goes into winter with open cuts that damage easily in frost.
Hedge cutting is usually priced per metre rather than per hour:
| Before RUT | After RUT | |
|---|---|---|
| Hedge cutting, per metre | 40–90 SEK | 20–45 SEK |
| Hourly rate, gardener | 500–800 SEK | 250–400 SEK |
Height affects the price more than length. A hedge over two metres needs a platform and costs more per metre.
See gardening cost and RUT for the full picture.
RUT for pruning
RUT-eligible at 50 percent of the labour cost (Skatteverket):
- Pruning and felling trees on the plot
- Cutting hedges, roses and shrubs
- Stump grinding and stump removal
- Splitting, cutting and stacking wood from trees grown on the plot
- Gathering the cuttings ready for removal
Does not qualify:
- Hauling the cuttings and garden waste away
- Planting anything new, even replacing what you removed
- Advice, including tree health assessments and garden design
- Hiring machinery, lifts and tools
The work must be done on the plot where you live. Work on forest land or on an association's shared areas earns nothing.
When you need an arborist
Bring in someone qualified and insured when:
- The tree is tall, or close to the house, power lines or a neighbour's plot
- The job needs climbing or a lift
- The tree is diseased or unstable and you cannot predict how it falls
- The tree may be protected, which is possible in an area covered by a detailed development plan
Check whether felling needs marklov, a municipal permit, before taking down anything substantial. Rules differ between municipalities and even between areas within one.
Common questions
What can you prune in autumn?
Spruce and thuja hedges, dead branches, currants and gooseberries, and many summer-flowering shrubs.
What should you not prune in autumn?
Spring-flowering shrubs such as lilac and forsythia. You would be cutting off next year's buds.
What is the JAS period?
July, August and September, when fruit trees heal cut surfaces best and disease risk is lowest.
When should a hedge be cut for the last time?
Early autumn, while it is mild, so the cuts heal before frost.
Does pruning qualify for RUT?
Yes, 50 percent of the labour (Skatteverket). Hauling the cuttings away does not.
Can you cut a neighbour's overhanging branches?
Branches over your plot may normally be removed, but ask your neighbour to deal with it first.
Related guides: the autumn garden cleanup, gardening services and gardening cost and RUT. Back to gardening in Stockholm.