Three pictures here of what clubroot does to your brassicas.
Oh dear! :( Is this the first year you've had it?
Second year Caroline it is not so bad with the spring cabbage varieties.
Thanks for the pics. I have obviously heard of it, never seen it, so nice to see what it is I need to avoid. Where does it come from? How do you get it?
Ugh!!
I think thats the worst I have ever seen it would seem as if you have a big problem!
I think you have got to look at how you grow your plants in their early stages so as to reduce things getting as bad as that.
I think you should have your soil tested!
Richard, if this is only the second year you`ve had club root then it is obviously a recently imported infection, and if you`re lucky it will still be restricted to where youy`ve grown brassicas over the last 2 (or possibly 3) years. If you accepted any brassica seedlings from elsewhere that`s probably how it got in. As I`m sure you know, there is absolutely no way to cure it, but you can stop it spreading to the whole of your plot if you`re careful, and haven`t already done so. It won`t spread through the soil of its own accord, but whenever you use a tool on an infected area you should be sure to sterilise that tool immediately afterwards (Armillatox - or a blowlamp).
In addition, avoid any brassica seedlings grown peat type composts - they are always particularly prone to club root.
I accidentally imported it nearly 40 years ago with some bought seedlings and spread it all over my kitchen garden before I realised what it was. I fought it for years with lime and Armillatox (as well as numerous witches brews), but am now completely unable to grow any form of brassica.
isolate the area of soil by putting a board around it, don't spread the spores by ever walking on the area!!! and wash any tools used on the area. ;)
Well Ladies and Gentlemen it as been nearly 2 years since I started this thread and I have now managed to get hold of some Perlka fertilizer, which according to all the reports that I have read is the bestd product to get rid of this clubroot . Can't wait to get some brassica plants out to try it out. It is very expensive stuff to use at nearly 40 pound for 25 kg but you only have to use between 2 and 4oz a square yard depending on how bad you have got the disease ( looks like I need the latter ). Will keep you all informed how it works .
PS its great to be back
There is no sign of rotting on those roots, and they look like mature plants, also they don`t look too stressed. So I am saying it IS NOT club root. More likely to be Turnip Gall Weevil.
I seem to get a bit of clubroot, but some of the plants go full term and taste OK, it's not until I dig them up and find the root affected, one I had last year was nearly twice as big as the one in RK's picture, it made me feel quite sick looking at it. :o