[barbarella]

I know you shouldn't put potato haulms on the compost if they show any signs of blight but my neighbour says she never haulms on her compost heap (blighted or otherwise) and doesn't even put them out in the green waste sacks.  The ties them up in a plastic bag and puts them out in the general waste.  The council  uses a system of composting which is supposed to get very hot and gets rid of disease spores, eg blight and club root, and weed seeds  but I'd be interested to hear other views on this. 

[Aunt Sally]

I always compost mine if there is no blight on them.

[JayG]

Potatoes are subject to so many pests and diseases I'm quite paranoid about them so they go for council composting (hoping I don't see them again but of course I'm quite likely to be buying them back again (hopefully heat-sterilised!) next year as a component of MP compost!)

(I know I have potato eelworm on my plot so the paranoia is quite justified!)

[barbarella]

I'm with you Aunt Sally on this one.  As long as the potatoes and haulms look healthy, I put the haulms on the compost heap,but only the tops - I cut off the root system as it often has tiny baby potatoes I can't be bothered to pick off so I throw that part in the green bag. 

I know we would all like to know how efficient the heat sterilising is though 

[PAULW]

Blight is an airbourne disease and only affects living green leaves/plants, you dont think the Linconshire spud farmers with thousands of acres collect all the haulms up and dispose of them do you? no they plough them all back into the ground to put the goodness back.

[barbarella]

Thanks Paul - that's good enough for me.  But I'd still like to know if heat sterilising really gets rid of/kills other things, like club root, wire worm, bindweed roots etc

[PAULW]

BARBARELLA
I would not compost club root that is a totally differant kettle of fish, clubroot can stay in the ground for years and should be removed from your plot/garden and put in the dustbin or burned, bindweed either hang it from a fence and let it dry out or drown it in a tub of water

[Salmo]

As I see it the immediate danger is allowing the spores to escape and drift on the wind to infect neighbouring crops. It could be that the safest way to dispose of blight infected haulms is to dig a hole and bury them on the potato patch.

Blight spores can only develop on living material and it is unlikely to survive from one season to the next on haulms. Blight is carried over Winter on potato tubers, either in the ground or that have been stored. Often new infections are from affected tubers that have been thrown out or survive in compost.

I do not put haulms with signs of blight directly on to the compost heap as the spores may drift in the air and infect my neighbours crops. I stuff them into a plastic bag then tie the top and leave them for several weeks to die before putting them on the compost heap.

[barbarella]

As I see it the immediate danger is allowing the spores to escape and drift on the wind to infect neighbouring crops. It could be that the safest way to dispose of blight infected haulms is to dig a hole and bury them on the potato patch.

Blight spores can only develop on living material and it is unlikely to survive from one season to the next on haulms. Blight is carried over Winter on potato tubers, either in the ground or that have been stored. Often new infections are from affected tubers that have been thrown out or survive in compost.

I do not put haulms with signs of blight directly on to the compost heap as the spores may drift in the air and infect my neighbours crops. I stuff them into a plastic bag then tie the top and leave them for several weeks to die before putting them on the compost heap.

Good thinking Salmo.  I do the same with perennial weeds, especially bindweed.

[WirralWally]

For me, all potato haulms go into the compost unless there is any obvious sign of disease.

Anything that is, or appears to be, diseased, goes into the council waste bin.
They (the council) assure me that their composting procedure will eradicate all forms of disease during their composting processes.
I don't have to, or need to, believe them, as I will never be in a situation where I will be using the end product of their composting   

[penninehillbilly]

For me, all potato haulms go into the compost unless there is any obvious sign of disease.

I don't have to, or need to, believe them, as I will never be in a situation where I will be using the end product of their composting   

You hope! I've learned never to say anything definite about the future.

BTW what about peelings and potatoes that look suspicious when peeled, can these go on the compost heap?

[Christine]

I never compost potatoes or potato peelings as the darned things grow again - even on the compost heap which gets nice and hot with the help of pigeon droppings.

[Guzzik]

.  The council  uses a system of composting which is supposed to get very hot and gets rid of disease spores, eg blight and club root, and weed seeds  but I'd be interested to hear other views on this. 

Only IF the heat they use is high enough.  Myself and a few others bought bags of this compost from Wareham council tip last year and wished we hadn't.  Withing days weeds were up everwhere!
If you are a bit worried about the blight, just keep the haulms in a placky bag till autumn/burning time and burn them in a HOT fire.  Or, leave in bag and bury them in plot somewhere a few months later.

[barbarella]

That's what I suspected