Gardening services cover mowing, hedge trimming, pruning, weeding, autumn clearing and snow clearing. Maintaining an existing garden earns a 50 percent RUT deduction, while creating something new does not. Here is what the service includes and what needs doing month by month in the Swedish year.
What gardening services include
Lawns
Mowing through the season, edging against beds and paths, and where needed scarifying and feeding in spring. A lawn cut regularly through the season needs less total work than one cut rarely.
Hedges and shrubs
Shaping, rejuvenation pruning of old shrubs, and removing dead wood. Hedge trimming is often priced per linear metre rather than by the hour.
Beds
Weeding, soil improvement, planting in existing beds, and edging. Cutting back perennials in autumn or spring depending on the species.
Autumn and winter
Leaf clearing and autumn tidying, cutting back, protecting tender plants for winter, plus snow clearing and gritting on the property.
Month-by-month plan
| Period | What needs doing |
|---|---|
| March–April | Spring tidy, rake out old leaves, prune dormant fruit trees, feed the lawn |
| May | First cut, weeding before things seed, planting |
| June | Mowing fortnightly, watering, weeding |
| July–August | Hedge trimming, JAS pruning of apples and pears, continued mowing |
| September | Final feed, planting spring bulbs, cutting back perennials |
| October–November | Leaf clearing, autumn tidy, winter preparation, last cut |
| December–February | Snow clearing, gritting, dormant-season pruning |
Two things that are easy to get wrong
Trimming hedges in spring. Avoid cutting hedges and shrubs where birds are nesting, normally April to July. It is both inadvisable and can conflict with species protection rules. Wait until after nesting, usually July or August.
Pruning at the wrong time. Apples and pears are traditionally pruned in the JAS period, July to September, or during winter dormancy. Stone fruit such as plum and cherry, by contrast, are pruned in summer, because winter pruning raises the risk of fungal infection. Pruning the wrong tree at the wrong time can both reduce the crop and damage the tree.
What to do yourself, and what to hire out
Easy to do yourself:
- Mowing, if you have a machine and the time
- Watering and light weeding
- Raking leaves
Worth hiring out:
- Hedge trimming at height, where ladders and power tools make it risky
- Pruning larger and fruit trees, where technique affects the tree's health
- Tree felling, which is dangerous and can damage buildings
- A neglected plot that needs bringing back from scratch
- Ongoing maintenance if you lack time or machinery
Working at height and with chainsaws is where most garden accidents happen. That is where it is worth letting someone with the right equipment do the job.
The RUT deduction for gardening
Maintenance of an existing garden earns a 50 percent RUT deduction on the labour (Skatteverket): mowing, hedge trimming, weeding, leaf clearing, pruning and snow clearing.
Landscaping earns nothing at all: laying a new lawn, building beds, paving, decking or drainage.
The line runs between maintaining and creating. If you mix both in one project, ask the company to itemise the parts separately on the quote. See gardening cost and RUT.
How to prepare
- Make the garden accessible, clearing furniture, toys and hoses
- Say where garden waste should go, or whether it should be taken away
- Decide in advance what should be kept. Mark plants you want to keep, or they are easily cut back.
- Mention any irrigation, cables or ground lighting hidden in the lawn
- Book well ahead for spring and autumn, when every company is booked up at once
Common questions
What do gardening services include?
Mowing and edging, hedge trimming and pruning, weeding, planting in existing beds, autumn clearing and snow clearing.
When should hedges be trimmed?
Usually July or August. Avoid hedges where birds are nesting in spring and early summer.
When should fruit trees be pruned?
Apples and pears in the JAS period or winter dormancy. Stone fruit in summer.
Do gardening services qualify for the RUT deduction?
Yes, 50 percent on the labour for maintenance. Landscaping earns nothing (Skatteverket).
Can I get help all year round?
Yes, though the work changes with the season.
What should I prepare?
Make the garden accessible and decide in advance what should be kept.
Related guides: gardening cost and RUT and the RUT deduction. Back to gardening in Stockholm.