Rotten Fruit On Ground

RiderOnTheStorm

I have a pollytunnel with lots of old tomato plants. Pulled them all up yesterday, but lots of old fruit on the ground and in the beds. Is it good / bad to leave them there over winter? Will the seeds grow next year? I imagine mold & flies & disease will be the problem. Any benefit to soil to let them compost in situ?

Zzippy

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

I have a pollytunnel with lots of old tomato plants. Pulled them all up yesterday, but lots of old fruit on the ground and in the beds. Is it good / bad to leave them there over winter? Will the seeds grow next year? I imagine mold & flies & disease will be the problem. Any benefit to soil to let them compost in situ?

Happens in every polytunnel unless you're anal about picking them up. They'll rot in to the soil. Prepare to be picking out seedlings all next year though, as soon as the soil warms up in spring they will be sprouting all summer.

RiderOnTheStorm

Zzippy wrote: »

Happens in every polytunnel unless you're anal about picking them up. They'll rot in to the soil. Prepare to be picking out seedlings all next year though, as soon as the soil warms up in spring they will be sprouting all summer.

Thx zzippy. Good to note.

_Brian

We pick them all.

I’d worry about mould etc that might go on to affect plants down the line.

Pick them, compost them and return them to the soil as good compost.