Club Root?

[raisedbedted]

Hi All,

For the last 3 years I have tried to grow brassicas on our plot (various parts) and always have the same problems...

Some plants turn yellow and die.
Cauliflowers have tiny curds mainly brown.
Broccoli has tiny heads that just open into flowers almost immediately.

Our soil is loose (I did compact it before planting) and slightly acid.

Do you think this is caused by acid / boron deficiency or do you think Club Root?  If its the latter then I think I'll just give up on the brassicas for good!!

Thanks,

Adrian

[raisedbedted]

[sandersj89]

Sounds like it may be club root, what do the roots look like on the effected plants?

Jerry

[dave]

Sounds like club root or cabbage root fly

Brassicas not wild about acid soil hence liming useful.

This year I have been mixing with compost and adding to the planting hole a little ground limestone (neutralises the acid), and puttingan inch or so of rhubarb stem (not quite sure what this protects against) under each plant
Last year without these precautions I lost in the way you described 40-50 % of brassicas
This year, treated as above lost one plant out of about 50 or so so far so shall do the same again next time

dave

[Doris_Pinks]

I have terrible club root on my plot and had all but given up until I read on this site someone saying (sorry I can't remember who) they grow their's in a plastic drinks bottle with the top and bottom cut out and filled with compost, have to say I have the healthiest looking brassica's I have ever had.........so far!  So whoever you are THANK YOU! ;D   DP

[raisedbedted]

I'll pull one up and have a look at the roots if these t'storms ever pass!

I like the idea of the bottles Doris, how deep are the "bottomless pots" - would you cut say a 2l bottle in half?

Also the limestone and rhubarb -  I've read that tip before so will prob give that a go as well.

Will report back with the roots,  thanks all

Adrian

[ina]

If it's club root, in addition to the things mentioned before, it will also help to let the seedlings grow a healthy root system in a big pot of commercial potting soil before planting them out.
I had great success with broccoli on my club root infested lottie. It was probably thanks to a combination of all the precautions and using seeds of club root resistant broccoli.

[PREMTAL]

Hi Doris-Pinks,
                       It would seem that I am the one to blame for your so far successful Brussels Sprouts.

My posting was under:-
Produce/Edible
Plants/Re-Brussels Sprouts
May 05 2005

Since that posting I have made a further addition to the tip, I wind copper wire salvaged from old electric cable around the top end of the plastic tubes to deter slugs.

PS:- the plastic tubes should also deter Cabbage Rootfly
infestation.

                                                        PREMTAL

[chrispea27]

Hi Plotty

It does sound as if your soil may be poor have you incorporated manure inti the soil to help feed your brassicas and also retain water?
???

[weedgrower]

what we do down our plot is make your 5 inch hole and then fill it with watered down jeys fluid, approx 1-10. when this has soaked in put a handful of lime in and then leave a week, then plant your brassicas. i'm not saying this elimanates club root completely but it certainly helps but saying that i have not had club root yet, good luck

[ina]

That's what I find so difficult, not knowing what the problem is. If it's clubroot, the manure will make the soil more acid and the problem worse.

So far, the broccoli plants with good rootsystems that I put in a big hole filled with compost mixed with lime gave beautiful heads. The ones I put out at the normal seedling stage without the precautions have now visible clubroot and no heads yet. I'll give them some more time and try to post pictures later.

[budgiebreeder]

The piece of Rhubarb put in the bottom of the hole before planting does work .Lasy year i grew my first good crop of  cabbage etc in clubroot infested soil with this method and Hey Presto its worked again this year.

[ina]

............... and I'm going to that too next year. Thanks for reminding.

[Doris_Pinks]

Thankyou premtal, it was you!!   :-*  :-*  :-*  :-*

plotofweeds here is the link where I got the advice from PREMTAL

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,9063.0.html

I do 2 litre water bottles with top and bottom cut out!

DP

[raisedbedted]

Thats great thanks...

What do you fill the bottles with, compost?  presumably not the clubby soil (!)

The most annoying thing is that this year we were ultra organised..

Dig loads of manure in
Put up a big netting frame
kept them weeded

all this makes the rotten plants look even worse!!

I might order a load of brassicas plants from the KG offer this month using the bottles, rhubarb may be a bit thin on the ground at the mo, and lime.

The flower bed outside the greenhouse where all the old pots of compost get chucked has some very healthy broccoli plants in, amongst the roses!

I will endeavour - this time its personal!

Adrian

[PREMTAL]

Hi Doris-Pinks,
                       I also use a similar strategy for Peas, in this case I use 1/2 litre square Volvic water bottles.

I make a small trench sow 20 seeds and position a tube over each Pea seed re-fill the trench and top up the soil to ground level through each tube and water through each tube.

When the plants reach the top of the tubes the tubes are removed, at which time you are ready to sow your next batch.

This strategy works for me against slug damage in the early stages of growth and can be adapted for other crops as well.

Hope this information will be of some help to you.

                                                   PREMTAL

[Doris_Pinks]

Thanks for that PREM!