Author Topic: composting blighted leaves  (Read 2521 times)

lezelle

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composting blighted leaves
« on: August 07, 2021, 14:25:58 »
Hi Ya, I noticed that a friend of mine is composting potato haulms. He said he only composts green leaves. I read a piece in a magazine that said you can compost blighted leaves as the spores need living material is required for the spores to survive. A well known organic gardener also agreed with this. I leave my compost at least 12 months before using and wondered if it is safe as I have just noticed brown patches on my tattie leaves and with a spit of rain and humid conditions ideal conditions. I was wondering if anyone composts blighted leaves. I think if they were to far blighted I may put them in the council compost bin but if I can reuse the goodness they provide to refresh my own soil then I would be happy. Any experience or advice would be welcome. It does confuse me as some say no deceased material should be added yet others say it's fine. Thanks all.

Paulh

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Re: composting blighted leaves
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2021, 10:07:06 »
This from the RHS may help you: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=217.

The most significant source of infection is spores blown in from infected crops elsewhere, (so composting can be seen as a less significant risk) BUT there is a possibility that  evolving blight strains can now infect the soil, so the RHS advises disposing of infected material through council schemes.

Tee Gee

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Re: composting blighted leaves
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2021, 10:52:42 »
Quote
the RHS advises disposing of infected material through council schemes

.......often resulting in the poor quality of  some composts that are on the market today.

Nuff said!

lezelle

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Re: composting blighted leaves
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2021, 08:28:54 »
Mmmm, interesting, thanks for the web site contact Paulh. The RHS is one of the groups I saw somewhere else saying yes to composting at home. I can get my compost to hit temps of 50+ degsC at times. I save material and in fact have some saved up materials now and are moving to compost today, rain permitting, I have only just noticed the blight but talking to someone further up the site who says its worse up there. I think I will give composting a go and measure temps. I am or was a member of a blight watch warning web but have heard nothing from them for a good while now. Still fingers crossed and my main crop has a good resistance against the blight. Good luck all and happy gardening.

 

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