compost and mildewed leaves

emiff6

Can I compost courgette leaves that have a touch of mildew (that has been kept mostly under control with sulphur dust), or am I storing up more fungus for next year? :undecided

Linda32

I wouldn't personally do that, I'd get rid of them another way.

Bonfire/tip/dustbin whatever is best for you

olly300

I personally would get rid of diseased plants in the bin but I've read that some people are quite happy composting them.

elsien

I'm another one who'd avoid doing it - I have enough lurgies in my garden already without adding to the mix, I'd rather play safe.

Lotus-eater

Advice is not to compost them, but I always have, as I understand it the spores will be broken down in the compost. But if not, then they are no end of mildew spores waiting to be blown into my garden anyway, they always seem to get it if the conditions are right.
But I haven't got it at all this year. Yet anyway

emiff6

Thanks for all the advice - I'm going to go with lotus-eater, because it seems an incredible waste to throw away such huge leaves, if I'm still going to get mildew next year anyway.:)

angelavdavis

Last minute addition to the thread....

I always compost mine because I too agree its a waste to bin them. I eventually get mildew on my courgette leaves, but don't spray as I don't like adding chemicals to them.

This year, the fourth year of digging mildewed leaves into the compost (in this garden - 20 years in total in all my gardens!), I, like many others am inundated with courgettes.

I don't really think it matters.

GreenFly_2

I think it depends on your heap and how hot it gets and how often you use the compost. I have a bin made from 5 pallets lined with black plastic that I use for a long term heap. Its getting quite hot due to the size and I've read it is ok to put perennial weeds and some diseased plants such as blight from potatoes, toms

but not for diseased plants such as onion white rot

I think it is ok to compost most material with mildew

Good Luck
GF