At our allotment there seems to be some confusion over what to do with
the woody stems of potato plants when they are finished with.

Before burning they need to be dried out. Some are saying a special
drying place should be constructed for this drying purpose.

Since they think that drying out on the individual plots in compost
heaps, risks the spreading of any 'blight' spores into the soil.

If a special drying place should be constructed, roughly how should it
best be done ? Thanks

On 22 Jun 2017 10:04, john west wrote:

At our allotment there seems to be some confusion over what to do with
the woody stems of potato plants when they are finished with.

Before burning they need to be dried out. Some are saying a special
drying place should be constructed for this drying purpose.

Since they think that drying out on the individual plots in compost
heaps, risks the spreading of any 'blight' spores into the soil.

If a special drying place should be constructed, roughly how should it
best be done ? Thanks

Not allowed fires on our site so it's off to the green recycling they
go. I'm assured that their composting is so hot anything is killed off.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

On 22-Jun-17 4:37 PM, Bob Hobden wrote:
On 22 Jun 2017 10:04, john west wrote:

At our allotment there seems to be some confusion over what to do with
the woody stems of potato plants when they are finished with.

Before burning they need to be dried out. Some are saying a special
drying place should be constructed for this drying purpose.

Since they think that drying out on the individual plots in compost
heaps, risks the spreading of any 'blight' spores into the soil.

If a special drying place should be constructed, roughly how should it
best be done ? Thanks
================================================ =================

Not allowed fires on our site so it's off to the green recycling they
go. I'm assured that their composting is so hot anything is killed off.

================================================== ==========================


have just seen on the RHS site they say better to burn rather than
compost.

also they say in this BBC site spores blow in the wind, but cannot
survive in 'fully' composted material. but potato stalks do not
*suddenly* become 'fully' composted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/advic...r.shtml?blight

john west wrote:

At our allotment there seems to be some confusion over what to do with
the woody stems of potato plants when they are finished with.

I have read that blight does not persist in compost or soil -
overwintering on live material and coming in on the wind.

Before burning they need to be dried out. Some are saying a special
drying place should be constructed for this drying purpose.

I have often wondered if there is any evidence that burning diseased
plant material in an open domestic bonfire is less likely to spread the
spores/whatever than composting. Not to mention whether it is something
people should even bother thinking about with diseases which are so
ubiquitous like blight, blackspot, brown rot and mildew.

Peter

In article ,
Peter Robinson wrote:
john west wrote:

At our allotment there seems to be some confusion over what to do with
the woody stems of potato plants when they are finished with.

I have read that blight does not persist in compost or soil -
overwintering on live material and coming in on the wind.

That is correct. It needs two varieties to produce durable spores,
and only one is found (or used to be) in the UK. As it overwinters
in a wide variety of plants (including common weeds), it is best
regarded as spread by miasma during Snith etc. periods. Composting
is (or used to be) safe.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Thursday, June 22, 2017 at 10:04:21 AM UTC+1, john west wrote:
At our allotment there seems to be some confusion over what to do with
the woody stems of potato plants when they are finished with.

Before burning they need to be dried out. Some are saying a special
drying place should be constructed for this drying purpose.

Since they think that drying out on the individual plots in compost
heaps, risks the spreading of any 'blight' spores into the soil.

If a special drying place should be constructed, roughly how should it
best be done ? Thanks


We compost in a big way, not suffered any problems yet.

..