01-02-2005, 01:13 PM
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In article ,
(jane) writes:
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| I am certainly not disputing the spore/seed problem. And I wish my
| ordinary type of allotment cold heap *could* kill off weed seeds! Is
| there a better way of destroying spores than a bonfire?
Just hint to Mr Shrub that you have the missing weapons of mass
deception, and he will nuke your garden for you. Other than that,
probably not.
| Or is this still not guaranteed? (I suspect not - fungi can be tough.)
| I had smut on my sweetcorn in 2003 (it likes it hot) so have had to
| quarantine a couple of areas of land and remove the haulms in bin
| liners. But where does one put them? I went to the recycling facility,
| but they couldn't tell me if their heaps were hot...
No, it isn't, and generally such actions are a waste of time. With
earthborne spores, you either have them or you don't. With airborne
ones, you get them from miles off. Crop rotation etc. doesn't work
on a small scale.
| Would you want to risk the possibility that the roots *could* survive?
They aren't a major problem - if the occasional one did survive
(which is MOST unlikely), it is easy to spot and remove.
| I have dreadful problems with bindweed and couch roots. They too get
| removed offsite in bags simply because I know from bitter experience
| they can survive my cold heap (and invade it!). Hence my doubt about
| the commercial cold process...
I have no trouble with them on a cold heap, and have masses of both
in the garden.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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