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Can I compost......

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simhop:
Have posted on the edible board as well as not sure where was best, sorry for duplication.
Probably due to poor weather conditions and no greenhouse my tomatoes suffered blight and I removed more rotten than red, however it was my first year trying with them so not overly disappointed. A greenhouse is on the xmas list. Anyway I presume that it is not ok to compost the plants damaged but what about the growbags that I used - is it ok to chuck the contents onto the compost heap or would the disease have spread down to the roots.
Thanks for ay advice,
Simon

Palustris:
The spores from blight drop from the plant leaves on to the soil to overwinter. I would not recommend using your grow bag stuff on the compost heap.

growmore:
I am sorry to hear about your blight.Especially as it was your first year.Blight does seem to thrive in damp weather conditions  if it is any consolation You may not see any at all next year.
I agree with Palustris I wouldn't want to use the plants for compost heap and would burn them..
But it poses an interesting question how does one dispose of grow bags etc which have had blight infested crops in them?..
I believe the spores do stay in the growing medium for quite a while..
I know heat will kill spores but how do we heat treat say 7 growbags..compost heap maybe but it needs to be a hot one
I think putting quite a lot of growbags on it would soon cool it down.
Could we  sterilise it with something lke jeyes fluid ?
Does any one know? cheers ..Jim..
 

Hugh_Jones:
I doubt whether Jeyes Fluid would do the trick, but I suspect that Armillatox would do it, although it would be difficult to prove without labaratory tests on the results.

Howver, a wallpaper steamer/stripper applied to each growbag in turn would probably be able to raise the temperature sufficiently for the purpose, although careful monitoring of the temperature with a soil (or oven)thermometer would help.  This is little different in principle from the old fashioned soil steam steriliser which I have had for nearly 40 years and still use occasionally

simhop:
So heat kills it but what about cold - it gets down to about -17 here in Winter - that should kill any spores????

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