Landscape - Fall Sanitation

Fall is the time to practice sanitation in landscapes to reduce disease pressure next year. Collected plant material should be composted. The following is a short article on the subject.

Fall cleanup is an important fall chore. Be sure to compost infected fallen leaves that may harbor plant pathogens. Most fungi that are parasites do not complete well with the decay fungi (saprophytes) in compost piles and decline in numbers relative to the decay fungi. Composted leaves are not likely to harbor plant pathogenic fungi that infect leaves especially if the pile heats to 180° F. There are exceptions. Do not compost any plant material that died from Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, Southern blight (Sclerotium), Sclerotina white mold, or black root rot (Thielaviopsis).

Bob Mulrooney, Extension Plant Pathologist, UD