Compost pea vines with powdery mildew?

[sweet thunder]

My compost is not hot, so I'm leaving out things if I'm worried about disease, but since compost tea is supposed to help treat it, will it die off in my compost anyway?

And honestly, powdery mildew is just a fact of life around here. It'll show up no matter what, so why should I waste all those nice compostable pea vines?

[cynthia_h]

Last summer, when I cut the leaves off my zucchini plants (powdery mildew "won" that round), I remember putting them into my pretty cool to cold compost bin.

The worms and critters ate 'em to smithereens.

It'll be fine. There are some fungi (verticillium, fusarium, to name two) I would NOT compost, but powdery mildew? I *did* compost, and it worked. In a cool system, not a hot one.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[smokensqueal]

I plan on composting mine from my pumpkin plant. Then again I throw everything that comes from my garden in there no matter what. I know that may not be completely right but I figure things will break down eventually. I don't see mother nature taking diseased things and throwing them away.

[sweet thunder]

Thanks! The peas have been chopped up and thrown in the bin.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Good to hear SW; this is such an endemic organism that putting it in your compost is likely redundant (chances are it is already present, and it is likely being predated by SOMEBODY in there). A quick spritz of milk water (1:3) will help make sure of that... corn starch would be another good fix...

HG