Evergreen plants needs cleaning

In lot of gardens we can see a different evergreen plants, like (Sp.) Juniperus, Thuja, Chamaecyparis, Taxus, Buxus etc.
As a rule, they need constant monitoring of what is happening inside their crowns.
Almost all evergreen plants placed in gardens needs human intervention.

Why?
What happens if we do not clean their crowns?

Made by: Urbandendro

Sometimes, nothing special happens but sometimes they can begin to bite different fungal organisms, as well as some illnesses that prevent the normal photosynthesis of plants and the circulation of necessary substances.

I have seen that it is quit a common problem, mostly with Buxus, Thuja and different creeping plants.


What to do?
Firstly - you should look inside the plant, inside the crown - if you can see there lot of dead brown parts, then it need to be cleaned.


How?
For this, put on a respirator, goggles and put up strong and thick gloves and start grasping the plant/plants carefully.
Without these protective devices, it would be not advisable to do this work in any way because the dust that arises is truly black and tight.
The cleaning should begin from a top of the plant, by moving slightly to the bottom of the plant, until the inside of the plant is clean from the old mess.


Is it suitable for compost?
Not really, because it does not want to be rapidly decompose and often contain fungal organisms that will not destroy in the compost. If you have a chance to burn it or utilize it differently then it is a better choice.


When it is good to clean?
I would recommend cleaning in the spring, since then the plants will feel better during the summer period and they will grow better also.
Often, cleansing is carried out in late autumn - yes, if there is no other time, it's also very good - however, some of the varieties are a bit cold-tempered, so in some ways the dead parts of plants helps them do it better in cold winter.

Evergreen plants needs cleaning. Photo: Urbandendro

How often to clean?
I would recommend look in to crown once a year and check the situation, but more than once every three years there is no need for cleaning in general.


Should the dead branches inside the crown be cut?

If they are located only inside the crown and some parts of them, then it is recommended, especially with any kind of creeping and ground-like forms - in which case you can keep plant in good condition and the crown will be sufficiently airy.


What to note?
If you clean plants at other times, for example, during birds breeding periods, first try to make sure that there are no nests in your plants.
In the case of creeping plants, you can gently knock with stitch the plant before starting to clean it - if it happens that there is a nest of a animal, then animal can escape and you will not surprise.

Source: Urbandendro (Ravel Reiljan).
http://ravelreiljan.blogspot.com/