Can you compost mildewy courgette leaves?
Post categories: courgette, soil and compost
| 12:18 UK time, Tuesday, 5 October 2010
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Synnove from Leeds asks: Thanks to Sally Smith for her advice about mildew on courgette leaves, which I read in the Dig In Q&A section on 23 August. I have been removing lots of my courgette leaves that have mildew on them. Is it OK to put these leaves on my compost heap? Thanks.
Answer: Some people say yes and others say no! I'm in the no camp as I am always afraid that the spores will overwinter and come back to haunt me the following year.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~04~RS~)
Comments
Hi, just thought I would add a little more info on the question of whether or not to compost courgette plants with powdery mildew. It is true to say that the mildew produces spores that can overwinter on plant debris and therefore could be a source of infection next year. However, by putting the leaves into an active compost heap that is teeming with many forms of life,the bulk of the spores are most likely to die or be consumed during the composting process. Thus the risks are so minimal that re infection would occur from then using the compost, that on balance I would prefer to compost rather than bin or burn this material. Powdery mildew is extremely common and is air borne so it is always likely to occur if plants are susceptible - hence my advice on improving the growing conditions in favour of growing healthy plants that can resist infection from what is a naturally occurring organism. I do agree with Brendan though that the choice is yours, some do and some don't!
Sally Smith
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