Up to 100,000 euros fine: Five gardening jobs that can get really expensive
Created: 05/04/2022, 13:12
By: Andrea Stettner
Not all gardening is allowed at all times, some are even forbidden entirely.
We show when you have to expect a fine.
Mowing the lawn on a holiday or cutting down trees in summer?
That's not a good idea.
A lot of gardening work is actually only permitted at certain times, be it for reasons of noise protection or because it endangers animals.
Corresponding regulations and laws are laid down by the individual federal states or municipalities.
Anyone who disregards the applicable regulations faces sometimes absurdly high fines.
We show you which tasks in the garden you should pay attention to.
1. Mowing the lawn on Sundays and public holidays
Garden work that
causes noise
may only be carried out in residential areas in the time slots provided for this purpose.
Noisy lawn mowers, hedge trimmers or leaf blowers may therefore only be used on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Quieter eco-labeled devices are permitted from 7am to 8pm.
The applicable rest periods in your community may vary.
Loud gardening is generally taboo
on
Sundays and public holidays .
Violations can result in fines of up to 50,000 euros.
2. Cut hedges
Cutting hedges is
prohibited from March 1st to September 30th
.
This is regulated in the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG) paragraph 39, paragraph 5.
Anyone who trims their hedge radically faces a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 euros.
However, the ban only applies to radical pruning and complete felling of the hedge.
On the other hand, gentle topiary and care cuts that only remove the growth of the plants are permitted all year round, provided they do not disturb the birds or other animals living in them.
The same applies to trees, living fences, bushes and other woody plants.
3. Chop down a tree
Trees are subject to special protection in Germany, which is why you are not allowed to simply fell a tree on your own property.
For example,
deciduous and coniferous trees with a trunk circumference of around 60 to 80 cm
are generally protected, with the exception of fruit trees.
But cutting down walnut trees, Scots pines or Turkish hazel trees is also prohibited in many places.
A list of protected trees is established by the individual federal states.
Before you reach for the chainsaw, it is therefore advisable to check with the relevant authority whether you
need a
permit to fell trees .
Otherwise, the catalog of environmental fines provides for high penalties
of up to 50,000 euros
.
Even when felling trees in their own garden, owners must comply with the applicable regulations - otherwise it can be expensive.
© UJ Alexander/Imago
4. Dispose of garden waste in the open air or burn it
Garden waste such as
tree cuttings, leaves, excavated earth or green waste
should never be disposed of in the open air.
They would unnecessarily burden the ecosystem there and cause a decent odor when they decompose.
Anyone caught will be
fined between 300 and 2,500 euros
.
Burning
is also
not a good idea, for which there is a fine of around 150 euros.
When disposing of garden waste, it is better to follow the applicable regulations of your municipality or your garden association.
Smaller amounts of lawn clippings can also be disposed of in the organic waste bin - or at home on the compost bin.
5. Destroy wasp nests
Even if the yellow and black striped animals can be annoying: you should never simply destroy wasp nests or move them on your own.
This always requires the assessment of an expert or a nature conservation authority.
Otherwise, depending on the federal state, fines of
5,000 to 50,000 euros will be
due.
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