Allotments 4 All

I think I know the answer to this already....

In a fit of despondency I threw the blighted tomato plants and loose green tomatoes into the compost bin.
Despondency that was made all the greater by the fact I am so far the only one to have blight at our site and I was growing Ferline "a blight resistant variety".

Now I'm thinking I should have burnt the foliage and fruits.  But the bin is 4' X 4' X 4' and full to the bottom with the tomatoes now presumably at the bottom.

Should I empty the lot out do you think?

Adrian

HDRA says it's ok to compost the leaves, but not the fruit.

I composted my blighted leaves last year and haven't had any problems this year (touch wood). Although I did take the precaution of not using that compost where I was planting toms and spuds.

Blight is meant to be destroyed in a hot heap so if you can get it hot enough (drink lots of water  ;D) then it should be OK.

I think I'll go for that - the compost bin is actually an old duck house turned on its side so I'll never get the fruits out, come to think of it I dont know how I'll even get the compost out (!)

I'll drink the flask of tea my OH gives me and see if I can "power up" the compost heap.

Quote from: redclanger on August 30, 2005, 15:49:33
(drink lots of water  ;D)

Beer would be even better...!

Are you sure it was blight? Being the only one on the site to have it and growing blight resistant Ferlines seems a lot of bad luck for one person.
If it was blight and already mixed with your compost, maybe you should not spread it out over your allotment but use it in one area, far from any place that may have potatoes or tomatoes in the future.
So sorry to hear you lost your tomatoes.

Same problem for me Plotofweeds; I binned a mass of tomato plant and fruit on Monday.  My rationale was that I have 2 bins hidden away behind the shed for what I call "long term composting" - i.e. blight and/or insect infestated (is that a Dubya-ism ???) produce as well as anything I fear may be polluted by bindweed or horsetail. 
I hope to let the stuff rot down really throughly over 2 years and then try using it somewhere "safe" like a flower bed (sneaky really as Mrs Project is the flower bed guru :o).  I too recycle my tea to help it get rotting.

Yes I think thats the answer or bury it in runner bean trenches.  Unmistakably blight, blistered fruits brown stems.

Next year I' either going to have a polytunnel or a frame with a roof on it to keep it dry, reading up I have done everything wrong though this year...

Grew heirloom varieties in amongst ferlines in a plot that gets blight regularly.
Planted them too close together  and didnt take out the side shoots.
Unwittingly let some nightshade plants grow amongst the toms.

Oh well, theres always next year.....

I have tomatoes like that, I wasn't aware until I read that last message that I had blight. Can the fruit still be eaten, or do I need to get rid of the lot?

Many thanks in advance

I think you can but they quickly degrade after picking - the fruits become blistered quite soon.

I've made masses of chutney with mine!