Method for operating a gardening appliance, - wherein the gardening appliance has a traction drive system, - wherein the traction drive system has a clutch, an electric motor drive system and a user-triggerable signalling device, - wherein the clutch is designed to, as a result of forward rotation, automatically engage for forward drive of the gardening appliance and, as a result of backward rotation, automatically disengage for freewheeling of the gardening appliance, and - wherein the electric motor drive system is designed to effect the forward rotation and the backward rotation of the clutch, and - wherein the method comprises the steps: a) in a user-triggered manner by way of a change in a signal state of the signalling device, operating the electric motor drive system in a running-down and/or braking operating mode in order to lower a motor rotational speed of the forward-rotating electric motor drive system, b) acquiring whether a back electromotive force (BEMF) caused by the electric motor drive system or a variable based on the back electromotive force satisfies a standstill criterion, wherein the standstill criterion is characteristic of an attainment of a standstill state of the electric motor drive system, and c) if the standstill criterion is satisfied, operating the electric motor drive system in a backward-rotation operating mode to effect the backward rotation of the electric motor drive system for the purposes of disengaging the clutch for freewheeling of the gardening appliance, - characterized in that the standstill criterion is that the back electromotive force (BEMF) or the variable based on the back electromotive force is equal to or lower than a standstill upper threshold value. - wherein the gardening appliance has a traction drive system, - wherein the traction drive system has a clutch, an electric motor drive system and a user-triggerable signalling device, - wherein the clutch is designed to, as a result of forward rotation, automatically engage for forward drive of the gardening appliance and, as a result of backward rotation, automatically disengage for freewheeling of the gardening appliance, and - wherein the electric motor drive system is designed to effect the forward rotation and the backward rotation of the clutch, and - wherein the method comprises the steps: a) in a user-triggered manner by way of a change in a signal state of the signalling device, operating the electric motor drive system in a running-down and/or braking operating mode in order to lower a motor rotational speed of the forward-rotating electric motor drive system, b) acquiring whether a back electromotive force (BEMF) caused by the electric motor drive system or a variable based on the back electromotive force satisfies a standstill criterion, wherein the standstill criterion is characteristic of an attainment of a standstill state of the electric motor drive system, and c) if the standstill criterion is satisfied, operating the electric motor drive system in a backward-rotation operating mode to effect the backward rotation of the electric motor drive system for the purposes of disengaging the clutch for freewheeling of the gardening appliance, a) in a user-triggered manner by way of a change in a signal state of the signalling device, operating the electric motor drive system in a running-down and/or braking operating mode in order to lower a motor rotational speed of the forward-rotating electric motor drive system, b) acquiring whether a back electromotive force (BEMF) caused by the electric motor drive system or a variable based on the back electromotive force satisfies a standstill criterion, wherein the standstill criterion is characteristic of an attainment of a standstill state of the electric motor drive system, and c) if the standstill criterion is satisfied, operating the electric motor drive system in a backward-rotation operating mode to effect the backward rotation of the electric motor drive system for the purposes of disengaging the clutch for freewheeling of the gardening appliance, - characterized in that the standstill criterion is that the back electromotive force (BEMF) or the variable based on the back electromotive force is equal to or lower than a standstill upper threshold value.