What should you do with the leaves in autumn?
By Service Plus Stockholm AB3 min read
Short answer
What should you do with all the leaves in autumn?
Leaves need to come off the lawn, paths and roof, but they can happily stay in flower beds, under shrubs and in a compost. Rake or blow the leaves together every week in October and November, compost them into leaf mould or take them to the recycling centre as garden waste. Burning leaves is prohibited in most Stockholm municipalities.
Where do the leaves have to go?
- The lawn: a blanket of leaves shuts out light and air and leaves dead patches and moss by spring.
- Paths, steps and patios: wet leaves are slippery and stain stone and wood.
- Gutters and drains: blocked gutters cause water damage to the facade when it freezes.
- Ponds: leaves that sink cause oxygen depletion and algal blooms the following summer.
Where can the leaves stay?
In flower beds and under shrubs and hedges, leaves act as natural winter protection and turn into humus over the spring. A layer of up to 10 centimetres is only beneficial, and hedgehogs and beneficial insects like to overwinter there.
The exception is leaves from apple and pear trees with scab or brown rot, and horse chestnut leaves with leaf miner. These should be removed from the plot entirely so the infection does not spread next year.
Compost, drop off or have them taken away?
There are three routes for the leaves, and they can be combined.
- Leaf compost: collect the leaves in a wire cage or black bags with air holes. After one to two years they have turned into leaf mould, the best soil improver there is for flower beds.
- Recycling centre: garden waste can be dropped off free of charge at the municipal recycling centre. Expect two to five trailer loads for a normal detached-house plot.
- Waste removal: Service Plus collects leaves and garden waste from the plot and takes it to recycling. Worthwhile when the volume is large or you have no trailer.
What is prohibited
Burning leaves and garden waste is prohibited all year round in Stockholm, Solna, Sundbyberg, Nacka and most other municipalities in the county under local public health regulations. Since 2024, national rules also require garden waste to be composted or handed in for collection in the first instance.
It is also not permitted to dump leaves on natural land, on municipal green spaces or in wooded areas next to the plot.
Leaf collection and waste removal from Service Plus
Service Plus Stockholm AB collects leaves from lawns, paths and flower beds throughout Greater Stockholm, as part of the autumn cleanup or as a separate job. Our waste removal specialist Åke ÅVC loads everything and drives it to recycling. Leaf collection qualifies for the RUT deduction, waste removal does not and is priced separately.
Common follow-up questions
Can you shred the leaves with the lawn mower?
Yes. A thin layer of leaves can be shredded with the lawn mower and left as nutrients on the lawn. If the layer is thicker than a couple of centimetres, the leaves have to be removed.
How many bags of leaves does a detached-house plot produce?
A plot with a few large deciduous trees produces 15–40 bags of 125 litres per autumn. Birch and maple produce the most, oak and beech drop their leaves later.
How much does leaf removal cost?
The price depends on the amount of leaves and waste and how easy it is to access. Loading and drop-off at the recycling centre are included. Service Plus assesses the price on site and provides a free quote before the work begins.
