Blight and soil

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meriad

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Blight and soil
« on: October 12, 2017, 12:26 »
Wondering if you can advise please - I've tried googling but getting rather conflicting advice...

At home I have a greenhouse and a small area to the side that I used for veggie growing; all in tubs.  I had a lot of tomato plants that self seeded from last year that I was growing outside (the main crop of tomatoes I grew in the greenhouse).  However, beginning September the outdoor tomatoes were all affected by blight so I quickly chopped everything down and put it in the bin - the greenhouse wasn't affected.

Now the question I have is....  can I reuse the soil that's in the tubs?  Ideally I'd like to take it to my new allotment that I'm in the process of clearing.  My idea was to put a layer of cardboard over the cleared plot (because there still is stubborn couch grass and bindweed) and then use the compost from the tubs over that as a mulch.   From what I understand blight is airborne so I'd have thought it would be OK, esp now as the tomatoes and the potatoes should all be harvested?  But can spores also be held in the soil and am I asking for problems if I use this soil as planned?   And very obviously; I would hate to be the cause of blight spreading across the allotments!

The other option would be that I empty the soil in the flower beds at home; but it would be quite handy if I can use the old compost at the allotment

thanks!

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mumofstig

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Re: Blight and soil
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2017, 12:37 »
It is safe to use -  the scientists insist that no trace has been found of over-wintering blight spores in soil, in the UK.

I wouldn't use it where I was going to plant potatoes, but that's because of rotation requirements rather than blight possibility issues.

Good luck with the plot !

(just a mention that bindweed can easily grow though cardboard mulch, it did here, anyway  >:( )

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meriad

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Re: Blight and soil
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2017, 12:48 »
(just a mention that bindweed can easily grow though cardboard mulch, it did here, anyway  >:( )
Really - oh no.....   such a pain the you know what (but it does have pretty flowers ;-) )

But thanks for confirming re the soil

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Pescador

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Re: Blight and soil
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2017, 14:31 »
MOS is stop on with that advice!
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Gellideg

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Re: Blight and soil
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2017, 16:48 »
yes,definitely no problem in the soil next year.Happy gardening.   John.

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sunshineband

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Re: Blight and soil
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2017, 17:05 »
Blights spores can only survive on live tomato material, so just make sure there are no stray traces in your soil
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snowdrops

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Re: Blight and soil
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2017, 18:46 »
Blights spores can only survive on live tomato material, so just make sure there are no stray traces in your soil

So once it’s rotted down is it free of blight?
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mumofstig

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Re: Blight and soil
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2017, 18:53 »
That's the theory, I'd rather put anything blighted in the bin.

Blight does overwinter on old potato tubers left lying about - they look rotten but are alive enough to carry blight into the next year. On Blightwatch the new year's blight outbreaks often start on piles of outgrade potatoes left in farm fields from the previous crop :(

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snowdrops

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Re: Blight and soil
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2017, 22:27 »
Thanks for the clarification



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