Bordeaux Mixture

[DiParticipant]

Good Evening Charles

Here in France, the above is still available as a treatment for blight. My question is: when it comes time to rip out the tomato plants can they be composted while they contain residue of Bordeaux Mixture? The reason i ask is that copper sulphate is an indiscriminate fungicide and bactericide and i worry it will deplete the quality of the compost.

Any thoughts?
Di

[DiParticipant]

Would anyone care to express an opinion as to whether or not Bordeaux Mixture can be safely composted without a negative effect to bacterial/fungal levels in the compost?

[charlesModerator]

I am not sure Di.
From how you describe it, I suggest not spraying it on the tomato plants.

[DiParticipant]

Thank you for your response, Charles. One of the advantages of growing tomatoes here is that blight can be held at bay by spraying with BM. I know it’s not available in the UK much to the chagrin of many gardeners. I do my best to follow your methodology in all respects, at least to the extent of my knowledge, and practice no dig, composting, mulching, allowing the pests to balance themselves out without chemical intervention etc but the thought of all my tomatoes being at risk from blight isn’t something i could do comfortably.

Perhaps i should err on the side of caution and not compost tomato plants.

[charlesModerator]

Sounds good.
I would compost them. Copper sulphate washes off in rain, why one has to spray again, and its not systemic unlike most fungicides. So plants won’t have much on them at season’s end.

[Author]

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