club root

[Dobby]

Has anyone heard of putting a pice of rhubarb in the the hole before you plant the brasica seedling. it stops club root
just read it in the concise guide to self sufficiency by john seymour 4.99 hard back from the book people

[Snadger]

Oxalic acid is the active ingredient in rhubarb leaves which is supposed to do the biz!
It worked for me on my last plot with spring cabbages but not with summer brassicas for some reason?
My theory is that the clubroot fungus is temperature dependant and it doesn't thrive as much on winter brassicas!

[Hazel at the Hill]

I know that this goes counter to what Snadge has just said, but I've always been under the impression that a generous handful of lime in the planting hole of brassicas combats clubroot.

[Snadger]

I know that this goes counter to what Snadge has just said, but I've always been under the impression that a generous handful of lime in the planting hole of brassicas combats clubroot.

And here's me thinking you were a devout follower of John Seymour!

No Haze, of course you're right, clubroot thrives in an acid soil so adding lime is bound to help, but won't make a happeth of difference if you already have it esconced in the soil!

[Hazel at the Hill]

And here's me thinking you were a devout follower of John Seymour!

Ha ha! Well picked up on!

In this instance the mighty Reg-next-plot gets my vote - he's been advising one of the new chaps at the Hill who's got clubroot on one part of his plot. (Hazel's advice was 'well don't grow brassicas in that bit, then')

[sewer rat]

Hi Dobby
I've heard of this but never needed to test it out. Similarly with the addition of lime, but if the clubroot is already present then best to try and avoid growing brassicas on the infected area.

[Dobby]

we have always put a bit of compost in from and old growbag with lime and blood fish and bone then put the plant in,
and it has always worked I was going to try the rhubarb thing as we have lots of it on the plot

[Jimmy]

Fortunately I don't have it.
From being a young gardener I was always told "never buy brassica plant's, always grow from seed".
The idea being that you won't import the problem.
Also I saw one solution was to dig largish holes and fill with fresh compost and plant in that. Don't know if it works as I don't need to test it.

Jim

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Jimmy et al,

What Mr D was trying to say is that as Clubroot is well established on the allotments site, we've always dug a fairly large hole, limed and blood fish and bone'd it, then used spent growbag or other fresh compost to plant the brassicas in, always grown from seed!

We've done well with brassicas on the plot since we've had it, but have seen others with major problems, so looks like the liming and planting into a fresh pocket of compost works!

The question re the rhubarb was whether it works and should we put it in beneath the fresh soil, as it looks like no one has a definite answer, methinks perhaps we need to trial it this coming growing season!

[Snadger]

Hi Jimmy et al,

What Mr D was trying to say is that as Clubroot is well established on the allotments site, we've always dug a fairly large hole, limed and blood fish and bone'd it, then used spent growbag or other fresh compost to plant the brassicas in, always grown from seed!

We've done well with brassicas on the plot since we've had it, but have seen others with major problems, so looks like the liming and planting into a fresh pocket of compost works!

The question re the rhubarb was whether it works and should we put it in beneath the fresh soil, as it looks like no one has a definite answer, methinks perhaps we need to trial it this coming growing season!

Rhubarb leaves worked for me with spring cabbage Mrs D..........but still think clubroot is less prevalent through the winter months?

PS Just had a thought......if you haven't suffered from clubroot on your plot, what's to say you have it in the soil anyway? If you haven't got it, you deffinately dont want it! Liming will be beneficial in not giving the fungus the right environment to thrive!
You could only test the rhubarb theory by planting in known clubroot infested land.

[Floreal]

I have serious club root and do not believe that a pesticide does not exist to cure this major problem, how do the commercial growers cope!! It is a question obtaining this preventive for private use.
I have tried liming with limited success. Any further ideas would be gratefully received.

[SarzWix]

Have you tried the clubroot resistant varieties Floreal? Clapton cauliflower, and Kilaton or Kilaxy cabbage. Swede Marian or Invitation
Also, starting the plants off in pots or trays, then potting them on until they've got a decent root system before planting them out into a hole filled with fresh compost & a handful of lime as Mrs Dobby describes above.

Good luck

[Snadger]

Armillatox USED to be used to contol clubroot years ago. You can still google the information about it. It is still widely available but only sanctioned as a path cleaner.
The reason we can't use it for the miriad of uses it has is that the company wouldn't pay the large amount of money (many thousands!) required to have it added to the list of approved pesticides.