Can fruit tree leaves that have insect or disease problems be put in the compost?
The problem with a lot of insects and diseases is that they don't die from the simple act of sticking them in your compost pile. While it's true that, at least in theory, compost piles are capable of generating temperatures high enough to kill most pathogens, in practice that's rarely the case anywhere but in commercial composting operations.
In home gardens, it's not uncommon for temperatures generated by a compost pile to be high enough to melt the snow off the top for much of the winter, which is nice, but not so high as to put an end to the majority of tiny creatures that are living in it. As a result, they can pop up again next year and replicate the problems they caused this year.
Removing the leaves from your property is a far better option when dealing with disease or infested plant material even though it goes against the urge to divert all things green from the landfill.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to me at vanessa@gardenmuse.ca.
