This year, too, the shears for radical pruning must be put to rest from March to September. From March 1, 2025, trees, hedges, living fences, shrubs and other woody plants may not be cut or pruned back to a few shoots. According to section 39, paragraph 5 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act, the ban does not apply to trees in forests, on fast-growing plantations or on land used for horticultural purposes. The ban applies until September 30, 2025.
The aim of the regulation is to ensure the availability of flowering insects during the summer months and to protect bird species that nest in hedges and bushes. Many of these natural breeding grounds have been lost in recent years due to changes in farming methods. It is therefore all the more important to preserve the remaining nesting sites in private gardens, especially as other small animals also find ideal shelter there. Radical pruning would deprive the animals of their livelihood. The regulation is also intended to prevent birds from being disturbed during their breeding season and abandoning their nests.
Gentle shaping and maintenance cuts are permitted
The City of Bonn would like to point out that careful shaping and pruning to remove the growth of plants or to keep trees healthy is also permitted in spring and summer.
If the prunings are not to remain in the garden, for example to provide a refuge for animals, they should be removed as soon as possible. If it is accepted by animals, it must not be damaged or destroyed as a used breeding or resting place. This is stipulated in section 44, paragraph 1 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act in the chapter "Special species protection".
City asks for compliance with the entry ban
Pruning at the wrong time can jeopardize the success of the animals' reproduction. But disturbing and disturbing breeding and resting sites can also have a serious impact on the care of offspring. For example, leaving the paths or letting dogs run free can trigger the animals' flight behavior. For this reason, in nature conservation areas where animals worthy of protection regularly occur, it is forbidden to leave the paths or let dogs run free, among other things to protect the wildlife (known as a trespassing ban). The City of Bonn therefore requests that you do not leave the paths in these areas.