Dreaded clubroot!!!

[debbilove]

Hi All, 

I'm relatively new to veg growing and was curious as to why my cabbages that were planted as small plants weeks ago were still as small as when i put them in, although the plot next to me has had massive growth on theirs!

I pulled up one of the roots and was presented with a massive gnarly root at the base of the plant that I have since found out is clubroot.

Any ideas on what i can replant in the bed from now so that I haven't just got wasted ground and how to try and prevent future outbreaks.

Any advice and ideas very welcome.

[debbilove]

[goodlife]

Hmm..you could grow some salad veg for now, you should still able to crop bush beans if you get them going very soon, spinach, beetroot or chard?...or grow some phacelia, green manure crop. Once its reached 6-8 inches high..chop it the growth down with spade and turn the soil over..it will do good..and come late autumn you could plant garlic or winter onions this well prepared bed.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Let them grow to a good size in pots before you put them out. Once the root system is established, in the pot, they should do better.

[chriscross1966]

Clubroot thrives in acid soils so it's a good idea to check the pH and add lime at planting time if necessary

[Jeannine]

We have very bad clubroot here and I bought club root resistant varieties, they seem to be doing well. I had then shipped from the UK . I git cabbagem cauli, brussels,

XX Jeannine

[ed dibbles]

Had this a couple of years ago. I began adding a good application of garden lime on all my brassicas at planting out time and have't had clubroot since.

As an added bonus it also makes the leaves grow a nice healthy green colour. :)

[debbilove]

Many thanks to all the replies.

I will defo try and get the plants more established before planting out and treating the soil with additional lime.

I started some Greyhound cabbage and Kohl Rabi in the green house and they are little seedlings at the moment.  Not going to make the same mistake with those and plant them while they are too small and not well establshed!

[Suzanne]

The clubroot varieties do quite well on my plot which has really bad clubroot - it's been an allotment for decades so the disease has built up in the soil.

You can buy the plants and seeds from lots of different suppliers now.

I use

F1 Crispus (brussels)
F1 Kilaton (Cabbage)
FI Clapton (Cauli) although also tryng F1 Clarity this year.

I did have to resow a number of these late as the rabbits got all my seedlings that I was growing on before planting in early June.  :( So hopefully they still do well.