Composting blighted tomatoes?

[quirkles]

Hi all. I heard from someone that you should not add blighted vegetables/fruits to your compost as it would contaminate it, while I've heard from others that it's not a problem and to just add all of it. I heard this after I had already put 2 or 3 blighted tomatoes in. I have a bunch of other blighted vegetable/fruit waste that I would like to compost if it won't be a problem. Thoughts? Recommendations?

[MoniDew]

I think this is a great question - and can't wait to hear the answer. Mind if I eavesdrop?

(I have a similar question - lost all my squash vines to borers, threw them in the compost...am I asking for trouble next year?)

[quirkles]

I hope we get an answer. Now I'm wondering about comosting invasive weeds too. Help!

[nandmsmom]

My understanding is not to compost the blighted tomatoes or plants. I bagged all mine up and took them to the dump. You dont' want to add further disease to your garden, so that is the reason. The compost heap would have to get incredibly hot to kill the spores.

[Warlord]

I didn't want to chance it either so my girls and I bagged up 4-5 bushels of blighted tomatoes and got rid of them. The plants got tossed into the fire pit and burned to a cinder. This was a little therapeutic considering how devastated I was over losing practically all our tomato crop. Warren

[Cynthia]

I had heard not to compost tomato vines or anything from the solanaceae family so I have kept a "tomato graveyard' out at the edge of the property.

Just a few weeks ago, I talked with a local organic expert who said that people who use chemical methods have issues with passing on pathogens but if we use organic methods the compost pile will kill everything.

I trust him, so I put my tomatoes and squash in the compost bin... and crossed my fingers!

Moni, your squash vine borers will be back whether you compost the vines or not. They are a common pest in this part of the country. Get dipel dust and dust the base of your plants next year - that will kill them and protect your vines. The good news is Dipel Dust is fairly cheap in the land of organics - I think i pay about $4 for a container. Only dust the base of the plants - where they enter the soil - I made the mistake of dusting the whole plant which wasted a lot of dipel dust. :)

[Kevin]

I had heard not to compost tomato vines or anything from the solanaceae family so I have kept a "tomato graveyard' out at the edge of the property.

Just a few weeks ago, I talked with a local organic expert who said that people who use chemical methods have issues with passing on pathogens but if we use organic methods the compost pile will kill everything.

I trust him, so I put my tomatoes and squash in the compost bin... and crossed my fingers!

Moni, your squash vine borers will be back whether you compost the vines or not. They are a common pest in this part of the country. Get dipel dust and dust the base of your plants next year - that will kill them and protect your vines. The good news is Dipel Dust is fairly cheap in the land of organics - I think i pay about $4 for a container. Only dust the base of the plants - where they enter the soil - I made the mistake of dusting the whole plant which wasted a lot of dipel dust. :)

Hey Cynthia, Be careful using that compost on anything in the nightshade family for the next two years. tomato diseases can be viral,fungal or extremely prolific nematode infestations. None of these would be erradicated in a compost pile . I personally wouldn't put healthy tomato plants in my compost, much less blighted plants . From what I have read, the only realistic organic control is crop rotation and selecting disease resistant varieties. I tend to agree with Warren on this one. Burn them and don't take a chance with spreading the disease.

[Garden Addict]

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/Facilities/lihrec/vegpath/photos/lateblight_tomato.htm

[Cynthia]

Kevin,
You could be right - there are obviously different opinions on this. I did not have blight this year so I am good to go - and no nematodes ever.

I'd love to hear from Patti's soil guy on this - I bet he has an opinion.

[Kevin]

Kevin,
You could be right - there are obviously different opinions on this. I did not have blight this year so I am good to go - and no nematodes ever.

I'd love to hear from Patti's soil guy on this - I bet he has an opinion.

Hey Cynthia, I wasn't saying you were wrong. I honestly don't Know for sure. I said be careful. I am basing my opinion on the advice given to our local farmers by the ag extentions here in florida http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH056 they say to destroy your crops after harvest. I live in one of the commercial production counties described in this article(hillsborough). The reason I said be careful, is that your climate in Texas (other than humidity) is similar to ours here in florida . Good luck , Kevin

[Cynthia]

my sister lives in FL & had verticilum or fusarium wilt - can't recall. I think they were told not to plant there for two years.

I agree caution is advised. I don't know the "right" answer either. Keven, I might well be wrong! As I said, I've always not composted tomatoes etc., but this year I did. We'll see what happens.

There are so many variables in growing a garden - if we can avoid pitfalls, I say avoid them.