Blight damage

[Ancient Mariner]

Grateful for some advice , I have had blight on my tomatoes at home , which were grown in tubs of suitable compost. I have disposed of the plants , but was wondering if I could use the remaining compost in the flower beds?

Grateful for your responses

Steve
Ancient Mariner

[Thelma Sanders]

I do

oh, welcome to the forum.

[Jungle Jane]

Be careful if you have any of the solanacae plant family in the flower bed,they're in the same family as tomatoes & potatoes & can be a host for the blight. I don't know if it would be best to wait a little while,to let the spores die off in bare soil in the pot?

[WendyC]

Spores only live on plant material so won't be in the compost.

[Jungle Jane]

The blight pathogen can cause resting spores-oospores that can survive in the soil.
"Oospores are thick-walled dormant structures that can survive in the absence of living plant tissue. The occurrence of oospores could change the epidemiology of the disease because they can survive in soil over winter or summer (if soil temperatures do not exceed 40°C [= 102°F]). If oospores are produced, the soil may become a source of this pathogen, therefore adding an entirely new dimension to the epidemiology of P. infestans and the control of late blight".

Late Blight of Potatoes and Tomatoes Fact sheet

I have read about blight needing plant tissue to survive,but I've been reading about oospores developing in the stem etc & I'm not sure,it seems like it can survive.

Phytophthora Blight - Biology

[Thelma Sanders]

So far, I think, they haven't found oospores here, in the UK outside of experimental conditions.

That's not to say there are none.

But if it going on a flower bed - I wouldn't worry.

[Ancient Mariner]

Blight damage

Thank you all for your responses , I suppose I could give the pots a dose of ***** Fluid suitably diluted!! I won't be using it on anything susceptible anyway and certainly not on my plot.

Steve
Ancient Mariner

[Jungle Jane]

What is certain is that the new Phytophthora infestans populations, containing both A1 and A2 mating types, have the potential to undergo sexual reproduction. This will result in formation of oospores, which may survive in the soil and initiate infection in succeeding years. It may also produce new, more aggressive strains of the pathogen. This seems to have occurred recently with the appearance in Great Britain in 2005 of a new A2 genotype which has been named ‘Blue 13’. Within two years, this genotype has come to dominate the population and is now present in around 80% of crops sampled. In 2007, it was detected for the first time in Northern Ireland.
AFBI - Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute : Releases Archive 2008

During 2011 and 2012 conditions got wetter in the UK. This appears to have favoured the A1 Pink 6 strain of blight which may have reached about 75% of the population. On the other hand the formerly dominant strain, A2 Blue 13, dropped to about 10% of the infestations. Of course it all looks pretty much the same when it has hit your potatoes and tomatoes but maybe it is useful to be aware that we have a still changing situation. The rain may also have washed spores down to infect tubers that would otherwise have survived. Another blight strain, Green 33, has popped over from the Netherlands and may complicate the situation still more.
To the best of our knowledge, the Sárpo varieties are retaining their ability to grow through blight infestations.
East Anglia Potato Day - Blight has changed
"If the above-ground parts of the plants are removed as soon as possible, no blight will be translocated to the tubers". Therefore it won't be in the soil. I would use it on the flower bed with no susceptible plants. Not all blight will contain both A1 & A2 mating types,but good to be aware of it.

[Bill HH]

So we have sexualy aware blight of several types now. I'm going to buy mine from the shop from now on, can't have that sort of thing going on in my pots.

[SusieG]

Wow JJ, you certainly know your blight info. It all sounds a bit worrying. My GH toms appeared to be ok this year and so far my 3 bags of Charlotte potatoes are growing very nicely. Hope it all stays that way ...

[Jungle Jane]

It's nothing to worry about as long as we rotate crops like we usually do...