Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: Normylass on February 27, 2011, 20:19:03
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I did something stupid at the end of last year, I dug up a rocket plant and noticed it had a strange root system, but on to the compost heap it went as I did not know what it was. Fast forward several weeks and my allotment neighbour noticed I had club root on a small patch of brassicas...... now I know what club root looks like! The root was by this time well and truly buried on the heap and I was unable to find it. Do I still use the compost when it is rotted down? or my gut instinct is to get rid of the heap? But it is one big heap! I mean 20-30 barrow loads full at least!
All recommendations welcome :)
Thank you in advance.
Normylass
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If it were me I would not worry about it.
Compost bins get hot in the summer and things get pretty well cooked.
And you've already got club root so you'll be living with it forever.
I don't compost any roots and I do all the stuff you are supposed to do but I've still got club root in the ground. It's just another thing Nature hits you with for daring to try to gain mastery over her territory.
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Describe the symptoms your plants have, please, because I don`t think it`s club root.
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It looked like this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clubroot
Sorry don't know how to attach a picture
All the best
Normylass
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Just learn to live with it. If you put a search on this site you will find all sorts of snake oil remedies, some of them work on one site but not another, I always put a small cube of rhubarb in each planting hole, I still suffered from it but it did not seem to hit every plant. Liming the ground is another method. But trial and error seems to be the way. Put a few extra plants in a different row and see if you have an uninfected area.
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Our plot guru grows miles and miles of perfect brassicas on a plot with clubroot. He recommends growing the plants on until big and healthy enough to survive being attacked, plus a dusting of lime in each planting hole. His results speak for themselves.
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That's what I was about to suggest. Start them in pots, and grow them on to a good size before you plant them out.
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Yes, that's what I do. I also as already suggested put a bit of rhubarb into the hole and cover it lightly with soil. I don't know whether it is an old wives tale, but the combination works.
Regards
Bluecar
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According to the defra site Perlka is the answer to the clubroot problem with 94% control on heavily contaminated ground . It is expensive but I am trying it out this year on my brassica crops, willet you know how things go .
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It looked like this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clubroot
Sorry don't know how to attach a picture
All the best
Normylass
That image is nothing like clubroot, more like Turnip Gall Weevil damage.
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the old boys on my site use decking preservative ( armillotox) ;) in the planting hole, and dip the roots in it before planting.
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Our plot guru grows miles and miles of perfect brassicas on a plot with clubroot. He recommends growing the plants on until big and healthy enough to survive being attacked, plus a dusting of lime in each planting hole. His results speak for themselves.
thats a great idea,one which Ill be trying for sure this year,thank you!
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the old boys on my site use decking preservative ( armillotox) ;) in the planting hole, and dip the roots in it before planting.
Would that be the same Armillatox they used to sell to gardeners for soil - based infections then? :-X
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daitheplant, sorry to disagree with you but that is clubroot I can assure you. I used to be a Market Gardener and have many years experience what clubroot looks like. Again sorry to disagree
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Thank you for all the advice, I will definitely use the grow em in pots until big enough and lime in the hole. Might even try the rhubarb, but as I have grown this from seed I might want this in my crumble :)
Only one answer about the compost heap though..... any more suggestions about that? DH said as Denby Visitor, not to worry about it, but I would value any other suggestions ;)
All the best
Normylass
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the old boys on my site use decking preservative ( armillotox) ;) in the planting hole, and dip the roots in it before planting.
Would that be the same Armillatox they used to sell to gardeners for soil - based infections then? :-X
the very same, but under a different name, due to current testing procedures etc.
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daitheplant, sorry to disagree with you but that is clubroot I can assure you. I used to be a Market Gardener and have many years experience what clubroot looks like. Again sorry to disagree
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Richard, we`ll have to agree to disagree then, I have also grown veg for over 30 years. Club root causes the root to rot, that wikipedia image shows no sign of damage apart from the galls, which are caused by Turnip Gall Weevil. The 3 sypmtoms of Club Root are :- wilted/blue tinged foliage, a smell of rotten vegetation and finally, once dug up, a slimy mess where once was the root system.
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Normylass I only use about 3/4 inch of rhubarb per plant so yous hould still be able to get your rhubard crumble.
Regards
Bluecar
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daitheplant, sorry to disagree with you but that is clubroot I can assure you. I used to be a Market Gardener and have many years experience what clubroot looks like. Again sorry to disagree
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Richard, we`ll have to agree to disagree then, I have also grown veg for over 30 years. Club root causes the root to rot, that wikipedia image shows no sign of damage apart from the galls, which are caused by Turnip Gall Weevil. The 3 sypmtoms of Club Root are :- wilted/blue tinged foliage, a smell of rotten vegetation and finally, once dug up, a slimy mess where once was the root system.
Dont know what type of club root you have found does that but Richard is right.
I would suggest you Google, Club Root Images i dont think you will find any pictures of what you discribe as club root
Davy
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I've had clubroot on my brassicas and the root is hard, dry and very nobbly. :-\
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I agree with the bit about blue wilted growth but have never known clubroot to leave a smell of rotting vegetation or leave a slimy root system . Intact a crop can still be harvested that as clubroot all being a smaller reduced crippling though .
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What I don't understand is, I've had fully grown plants and only discovered the clubroot when I'm digging up the roots afterwards. :-\
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Daithe plant can you put a picture on of what you say is clubroot please