Author Topic: cabbage heart rot?  (Read 2252 times)

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cabbage heart rot?
« on: July 04, 2018, 10:25:01 »
This morning I cut what looked to be a perfect cabbage (golden acre primo II), but the stem and up into the base of the head was blackened, hollowed and stunk of old fish. The best picture match I can find on google is heart rot, but I can only find American info, talking about a calcium deficiency - has anyone on here experienced this particular problem? It was so disappointing, it's only the second one I've cut this year and the first was utterly delicious. I haven't dared to check the rest of the row yet....

Tee Gee

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Re: cabbage heart rot?
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2018, 15:31:16 »
I don't grow summer cabbage but years ago I did and I vaguely recall having a plant affected like you say and like you could not find any literature about it.

But for what it is worth I will give you my opinion on what caused it!

In a nutshell "Watering & Heat" My guess is you have been watering them in this extreme heat but cabbages unlike other brassicas distribute the water a little different. For example; With Sprouts, Caulis & Broccolis the water collected in the leaves spiral down the stem in a helter-sceltar fashion whereas with cabbages this only happen in young plants.

When the plant begins to form a heart the new leaves begin to fold together thus increasing the possibility of water lodging in the folds. Normally any surplus moisture seeps out of these folds and there is usually no problem. But in this weather this surplus water heats up (boils if you like) before it gets a chance too leech out and turns the tender leaves to mush which goes on to form some sort of botrytis....Black Rot!... 

OK it is only an opinion but I would like to know if indeed you have been watering more than normal and if the affected cabbage came from the centre of the batch where the leaf canopy was more dense thus raising the humidity at the base of the cabbage.


pumkinlover

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Re: cabbage heart rot?
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2018, 08:19:32 »
It seems a reasonable explanation of this phenomenon. Sadly I have experienced this as well  :BangHead:

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Re: cabbage heart rot?
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2018, 15:24:27 »
Thanks, TeeGee, that all sounds very plausible, but I haven't watered my brassicas at all, and it was at the end of a row! But of course, the terrific rainburst we had one evening about 3 weeks ago could have had just that effect, it seems the most likely solution. I cut another today, that had just a tiny beginning of the same rot at the base of the head, easily cut off and the head not affected. The taste of this cabbage (raw, I eat it raw) is out of this world, I just hope the rest of the crop is unaffected and won't go to seed too quickly. Brassicas are on such a knife edge as to being worth the effort - my broccoli has been rubbish this year, the main heads about the size of what I'd expect from second sideshoots!

Tee Gee

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Re: cabbage heart rot?
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2018, 18:25:03 »
Quote
my broccoli has been rubbish this year, the main heads about the size of what I'd expect from second sideshoots!

I grow Calabrese which is a milder flavoured Broccili as you may well know, picked my first one today and considering the weather we have had I am relatively happy with it.

I have put a photo of it below and to give some indication of size the wall tile is 6" x 6"

Normally they are a couple of inches bigger than this one but as I say considering everything;    this is fine for me!

 

anything
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