We all know that there are tons of thuja leaves after pruning thuja hedges.
Can thuja leaves be used as mulch (perhaps for acid-loving plants, let's say young pines, or vaccinum)? What if they are put in a compost pile?
I've read something about thujaplicin, thujone, and acetic acids as being present in thuja leaves? Are they harmful or helpful?
Pretty much any organic material can be used as a mulch or composted, so yes you can do that. I personally toss stuff like that into my long term compost pile that I let break down for a few years before it is usable. Either that or I'll just leave the clippings where they land and cover them up with a better looking mulch. I wouldn't think too hard about specific plant constituents and their affect on compost and/or soil as that involves very complex chemical and biologic processes and I doubt it really makes much of a difference once it breaks down.
