Cleaning your plants may seem like an odd garden chore, but regularly cleanings help keep you plants healthy and your gardening looking great.While techniques used to clean plants vary depending on the type of plant you are caring for and the space they occupy our greenhouse experts generally recommend this method.Inspect plants for excess rain water, while you may think a lot of rain for your plants is good because you don’t have to water as often, too much water lying on the leaves and flowers of the plant can cause fungus and rot if left untreated.Next, remove dead or yellowing leaves by clipping close to the base of the stem. Leaving these dead leaves on your plant can lead to fungus and mold growth. It is important to remember that it is natural for plants to have some discolored or dead leaves, but an abundance of them could mean there is a problem. There are chemicals that help to prevent these issues for your plants but the fewer chemicals used the healthier your plant and the environment will be. Also, be sure to remove or deadhead spent flowers as soon as they start to fade to promote further blooming and prevent disease from spreading. After cleaning up any faded or dying leaves and flowers make sure to remove the debris away from the garden and clean your tools, to avoid spreading fungus and disease.Lastly, wash foliage on container plants that you are able to handle by running the leaves under tepid water with a few drops of dish detergent. Tepid water consists of two parts cold water and one part boiling water. Swish the leaves in the soapy water and rinse thoroughly, this will not only clean the leaves but kill insects as well. For larger plants or the vegetables in your garden, use the mist attachment on your hose and spray evenly on all sides of the leaves and stem to remove any dirt and debris from your plants. Taking the time to regularly clean your plants can improve the health of your garden in the long run.
