On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:10:24 +0100, Ed ex@directory wrote:

On 16/07/08 14:57, Therefore wrote:
Hello
with regards to tomato and potato blight foliage.

I have read that all foliage should be put into the dustbin and other
advice to put in compost heap as blight only over winters on green plant
material.

What opinions if any do you folks have.

TIA ..........................leslie


On my allotment, the experienced guys always leave the haulms to dry
off and then burn them. Or they bag them up, take them home and dispose
of them through the Council garden waste collection bins.

They never put them on the compost heap. They just think that it is not
worth taking any risks.

Ed

I agree, not worth the risk. I don't grow potatoes, but many many
tomatoes. I get plenty of compost material from weeds etc to risk
adding known diseased material. Blighted toms go to the council.
However as the spores are wind spead, like the poor it will always be
with us. Better to plan for horticultural methods that make you (a
little) less susceptable. That's possible with tomatoes, not really
with spuds admittedly. With toms, I have found that Dithane 945 does
seriously retard the infection.

N