Mildew on Comfrey

[Shadylane]

The comfrey has mildew again. Same happened last year around this time. Can I still cut it and make a tea for fertilizing toms? My mum has run out and I need to make some more, but I don't want to pass the disease on to her plants. That would not go down well.

[FB.]

I would think that it'll be OK for using to make tea.
Mildews tend to thrive in warm conditions with humid air - but, strange as it may sound, true mildews often dislike heavy rainfall.
If you're going to put the mildewed leaves into water for a few weeks, the mildew won't like that at all. Besides, I would think that the fermenting-down of the plants in the comfrey tea would result in other wet-loving fungi literally digesting the mildews.

It is also likely that the mildew from one type of plant won't affect another, unless they happen to be very closely related.

If the comfrey is affected by something other than mildew, then perhaps it will be contagious to the tomatoes.
I would have thought that putting the "mildewed" comfrey into boiling water would kill everything......but having killed all the life forms on the comfry by boiling, I'm not sure how well it would compost into "tea" - maybe add a small amount of compost to the tea to add-back some composting fungi/bacteria?

[Two_Sheds]

the plants are too dry, that's why they've got powdery mildew: watch out if you have squash or pea plants, because they will get affected too

[Shadylane]

Thanks for the replies peeps. They were very dry as like everyone else we've been suffering a drought until last few of weeks. Strange that after the several downpours we've had they decide to get it. The squash get watered with a sunken bottle so they're ok and the peas packed it in ages ago

[muddled]

Reprising this old thread because I'm about to cut back a whole lot of mildewed comfrey and I don't know where to put it.


Options are;
Around the base of a mature plum tree.
In my compost bin.
Send it away in the council compost bin.
A small batch of comfrey tea (I've only got a small lidded bucket and it's white not dark.)

What do we think oh wise ones?

[Baldy]

Any of the above.
(Except 'Send it away in the council compost bin') - which would be a waste

[muddled]

Excellent!
They're not contagious then?

[Cadalot]

Mine goes into the compost bins as soon as I see any mildew, it soon grows back without the mildew and that batch goes into the comfrey pipe.

[Baldy]

I wouldn't use it round the base of young seedlings but think your mature tree would be fine. Composting would see it all broken down by other fungi etc. I do believe that mildew doesn't like being submerged.
If you wanted to play it most safe I guess compost is the safest.

[muddled]

Okay then, compost and round the tree it is (there's quite a lot of it).

Many thanks gentlemen