The issue is survivability of the fungal spores from plant through composting and then in the tea. There are so many variables, coupled with an unidentified pathogen, and uncertainty of whether the composted leaves were even infected, that I don't believe anyone can suggest with any certainty what the probability of spore survival in your situation will be. So, it's a crapshoot. Reports of fungal spore destruction during composting of tomato vines infected with either late blight fungus (Phytophthora infestans) or early blight fungus (Alternaria solani) are varied. Spores of both can survive a year or more on infected plant tissue and in soil. Most reports indicate that spores associated with early blight is destroyed in hot thermophilic composting followed by adequate maturation. Spores associated with late blight, however, have been reported to survive composting. As for a compost extract or tea, I've not seen anything that indicates what impact the brewing process may have on spore survival for either. If the composted leaves were disease and spore free, the risk would be probably non-existant. There have been a lot of tomato plant residues composted by many gardeners without problems following. The concern arise if there were spores present, either on the plant material or in any attendant soil that came with that material. If the plant materials that you composted were infected, there is a clear risk. But, I don't think with what you've provided anyone can gauge whether the risk is high or medium or low.

OH man, now I'm worried. Last year my neighbor definitely had LB in late August I think it was. Her plants all croaked in days. For like the tenth straight year she asked me for the same advice and once again I gave her the same advice but it's obvious she'll never use it. They are VERY nice people BTW. BUT, she buys her plants at HD, crowds them in cheek to jowl, overhead waters almost every evening, shoots MG at them as soon as they start to yellow, sprays the bejeebers out of them with bug killer, all things I DON'T do! Last year I must have been lucky...NO LB from her garden. I start all my plants from seed and so far this year they are doing great despite two nights of 34F, three days of 50MPH winds and a hailstorm! I sure hope this local HD doesn't have any LB infected plants for sale this year and my luck changes. She doesn't grow tomatoes but she does grow millions of beets. Please don't tell me LB can over winter in Beets!???

I am about an hour west of Tom VA, and the blight hit me to. Yes, it is everywhere! :( I have been studying a bit of chemical free gardening, and I have noticed that I have done a few things correctly and a few things incorrectly this year to protect my plants from the blight. Correctly in that, when I water my tomatoes, I only spray the water hose toward the roots, not the whole plant. I was incorrect in that I like to water in the evening so the water has more time to soak in, when I should have been watering in the morning to help them stay dry. etc. etc. Being a small gardener, next year I am going to separate my plants all around my back yard. I do not remember the article or have the link now, but I did save an excerpt from an article that I would like to share... Good luck to everyone next year. ps. I have never raised Ferline and Legend tomatoes, so can not comment on their reputation as mentioned below. How to prevent tomato blight This fungal infection is caused by wet or damp conditions and effects the leaves first. If growing outside provide some kind of shelter for your plants if possible. Wet leaves are ok for a few hours, but over-night in cold conditions followed by another wet day will lower the plants defenses. Ferline and Legend are supposed to be blight tolerant - that is they have a greater defense against blight than other varieties. Suggestions to follow: * Keep tomato leaves dry - provide some shelter from the rain if possible. * Water in the morning to that plants are not stood in excess water overnight. * Remove some of the lower leaves (by pulling off - not cutting) if they show signs of infection. * DonÂt touch leaves of plants and spread the disease on fingers.

Late blight is rapidly spreading among gardens in upstate NY. I belong to a community garden and many people have lost all of their plants. Often the disease progresses from a few small spots in one section of a plant to infecting the entire plant in a day and a half! The weather we are having (70's daytime, 50's at night, rain most every day) has been ideal for the disease's rapid spread. I also have a garden at home, and that has not been effected yet. I try to garden organically, but i'll be spraying my home tomato plants with Fung-onil (chlorothalonil) tomorrow. I hope I can save them. Tomatoes, potatoes, and yes, petunias are the main targets of the disease. Plants effected with late blight should be bagged and discarded (in the trash - not composted!). This is a serious threat to commercial growers since the spores can travel for miles by wind. Be careful not to shake the plants too much as you bag them so you don't send too many spores into the wind. You may have gotten the spores on your plants from a neighbor's infected garden. Frankly, I'm surprised there has been relatively little posting about this since it is big news around here.