Lawn mowing in Stockholm

How often should the lawn be mowed?

During the peak season from May to August an ordinary garden lawn needs mowing every week or every other week. Grass grows fastest when the soil is moist and the temperature sits between 15 and 25 degrees, and then it can get too long in ten days. In heat and drought it grows more slowly and mowing can be spaced out.

The lawn season in Stockholm runs roughly from April to October. The first cut is taken when the grass is about 6–8 centimetres tall, usually in the middle or at the end of April, and the last one when growth has slowed in October. With a seasonal contract Mulle comes on fixed days throughout the period, so the grass never gets so long that it has to be cut in several passes.

What is the right cutting height?

Four to five centimetres is a good height for an ordinary lawn in Stockholm, and in summer heat it is better to stay at the upper end of that range. Taller grass shades the soil, holds moisture longer and makes it harder for weeds and moss to establish. Never cut away more than a third of the blade at a time – shorter than that stresses the grass, the roots stay shallow and the lawn turns yellow.

• First cut in spring: when the grass is 6–8 cm, cut down to about 5 cm
• Spring and autumn: 3–4 cm while growth is good and there is enough moisture
• Summer heat and drought: 4–5 cm, and higher in the shade under trees
• Last cut in October: about 4 cm, so the grass does not mat down under the snow
• Grass that has got away from you: cut in two or three passes a few days apart

What is the difference between lawn mowing and meadow mowing?

Lawn mowing keeps a short lawn even, with a rotary mower or a ride-on mower. Meadow mowing is the work on long grass – meadows, slopes, ditch banks and plots that have been left alone – where the grass is too long and too coarse for a lawnmower and is cut with a brush cutter or a sickle bar mower instead.

A meadow is normally cut once a season, in July or early August once the flowers have had time to set seed, and the hay is raked together and taken away. Removing the cut material keeps the nutrient level down, which is the very condition that lets meadow flowers compete with the grass. Service Plus also cuts neglected plots and can then take over regular mowing once the area starts to look like a lawn again.

Should the clippings be collected or left on the lawn?

With regular mowing the clippings can happily stay where they fall. Short blades break down in a few days and return nitrogen to the soil, which covers part of the season's fertilising. It does require that you mow often enough for the blades to be short – long clippings settle as a mat, smother the grass underneath and favour moss.

We collect the clippings when the grass has grown long, when the lawn is mossy or full of weed seeds, before a viewing and always after meadow mowing. Collected material can be composted on the plot or hauled away as an option. Waste removal and the tipping fee are not covered by the RUT deduction.

What can be done about moss and an uneven lawn?

Moss takes over where the grass is weak: in shade, on compacted soil, at a low cutting height and on acidic soils. The remedy is rarely moss removal alone but a combination of a higher cutting height, aerating compacted soil, scarifying to tear out moss and thatch, top dressing with sand or soil and fertilising so the grass can compete again.

Scarifying and aerating are done in April–May or in September, while the grass is growing and can recover quickly. After heavy scarifying, thin patches need reseeding. Bare ground under large trees rarely becomes a good lawn however much you fertilise – there, ground cover plants or a surface of bark or gravel is often the more durable answer.

What affects the price of lawn mowing?

The price is driven by the size of the area, how much edge work and trimming is needed, how accessible the plot is, whether there are slopes or steps, how often we come and whether the clippings are to be hauled away. Long, neglected grass that needs meadow mowing takes longer than a lawn that has been cut regularly. Service Plus gives a free quote with a reply within 24 hours, so you see the cost before anything is booked.

Private individuals get a RUT deduction (the Swedish tax deduction for household services) of up to 50% of the labour cost for lawn mowing on the plot of their home, and the deduction is taken straight off the invoice. Removal of grass clippings and transport are not covered by RUT. Housing cooperatives, joint property associations and companies book the same work on seasonal contracts with fixed cutting days, consolidated invoicing and one contact person.