Tomato vines in compost

gunrunner · March 30, 2015

I have often heard that tomato leaves are poison. Do you put your plants in your compost?

Thanks
Mike

AlittleSalt · March 30, 2015

For the most part, I don't. I do compost tomatoes though.

Worth1 · March 30, 2015

It is not a good idea to compost tomato vines because you will just help the spread of disease to next year.

That is what I have been told so I dont do it.

Worth

Redbaron · March 30, 2015

I compost my vines.

bower · March 30, 2015

I compost mine... wow they make a big stack! Just don't use the compost on tomatoes the next year, or until it's really completely broken down. If you have viruses it's another story, you have to burn them afaik, but most other pathogens are killed in a proper hot compost process.

Worth1 · March 30, 2015

I dont have enough to worry about so I stack mine up in the ditch buy the street and shred them up with the lawn mower.
Worth

gssgarden · March 30, 2015

Only the leaves that I prune. I have a small compost bin so I feel that the thicker vines take VERY long to break down. Anything with disease gets tossed.

Greg

FISHBONE · March 31, 2015

I haven't touched my garden beds ,, still have old vines on the cages.. i was thinking of pulling them all out after removing the tomato cages I used in the one bed,, also think it might be a good idea relocating my new plants off to the side where last years roots fed in the soil. I don't believe I need tilling anymore,, just a couple shovel fulls of mg for each plant when the time comes. And this year going to lay out a couple soak hoses for convenience during the hot summer days.

bughunter99 · March 31, 2015

I burn my vines and compost the bit of ash they may. I do not add them directly to my compost because by the end of the season they have diseases. I cold compost and that does not add enough heat to the process to kill those pathogens.

habitat_gardener · March 31, 2015

I compost them all.

Stvrob · March 31, 2015

Seems like there could be a market for a gardener's blow torch

Mike723 · April 6, 2015

As worth said: you have to be aware of spreading disease, as fungal spores (septoria for example) will over winter in the compost and infect the soil where it's placed; not worth the headache IMO.

March 30, 2015	#1
gunrunner Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: memphis tn Posts: 81	Tomato vines in compost I have often heard that tomato leaves are poison. Do you put your plants in your compost? Thanks Mike

March 30, 2015	#4
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	I compost my vines. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

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March 30, 2015	#2
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	For the most part, I don't. I do compost tomatoes though.

March 30, 2015	#3
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	It is not a good idea to compost tomato vines because you will just help the spread of disease to next year. That is what I have been told so I dont do it. Worth

March 30, 2015	#5
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I compost mine... wow they make a big stack! Just don't use the compost on tomatoes the next year, or until it's really completely broken down. If you have viruses it's another story, you have to burn them afaik, but most other pathogens are killed in a proper hot compost process.

March 30, 2015	#7
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,827	Only the leaves that I prune. I have a small compost bin so I feel that the thicker vines take VERY long to break down. Anything with disease gets tossed. Greg

March 31, 2015	#8
FISHBONE Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: the garden state Posts: 38	I haven't touched my garden beds ,, still have old vines on the cages.. i was thinking of pulling them all out after removing the tomato cages I used in the one bed,, also think it might be a good idea relocating my new plants off to the side where last years roots fed in the soil. I don't believe I need tilling anymore,, just a couple shovel fulls of mg for each plant when the time comes. And this year going to lay out a couple soak hoses for convenience during the hot summer days.

March 31, 2015	#9
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	I burn my vines and compost the bit of ash they may. I do not add them directly to my compost because by the end of the season they have diseases. I cold compost and that does not add enough heat to the process to kill those pathogens.

March 31, 2015	#10
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	I compost them all.

March 31, 2015	#11
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	Seems like there could be a market for a gardener's blow torch

April 6, 2015	#12
Mike723 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: CT Posts: 290	As worth said: you have to be aware of spreading disease, as fungal spores (septoria for example) will over winter in the compost and infect the soil where it's placed; not worth the headache IMO.