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Disease and composting

My broad beans first  got brown spotted leaves and then the stalks and lower pods went black .

1. What disease have they got? and

2. Should I compost the stalks or will it leave disease in my compost?

Thank you for any advice.

Posts

  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    Don't know what the black spots are but the golden rule is never put diseased material in the home compost bin-burn it or domestic rubbish bin.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    Sounds like Chocolate Spot - very common on broad beans especially in cool damp summers but doesn't usually affect the eating quality of the beans and doesn't infect any other plants.  I wouldn't worry about adding the haulms to the compost - allotmenteers I know have been doing it for years with no noticeable ill effect.

    It is said that it may help to avoid Chocolate Spot if you can plant your beans a bit further apart to allow good ventilation - and of course this is try of other fungal diseases too.


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • janebaljanebal Posts: 130

    Thank you for your advice.  I will plant the beans further apart next year.

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