[mkhenry]

I have just recieved a veg catalogue that offers a cabbage varity that is "club root resistant."

This has got to be worth a try if you are concerned about this on your lottie.
More and more merchants are offering this alternative,  so check around, you will soon find a type suitable for your needs.  

[sweet nasturtium]

Jolly good, will do.  Any ideas on how to actually get rid of club root from the soil?

[mkhenry]

Jolly good, will do.  Any ideas on how to actually get rid of club root from the soil?

No, it takes time I am told.  You can help a little by only growing from good seed and not puting the plants in the veg bed until they are well established.  This could help you keep the soil free from problems. Club root is a soil borne disease, coming from infected soil. If your young plants are grown in infected soil you will transfer it to your soil.

But if its in the soil you should avoid growing brassicas in that area for at least 5 years. Some people say less time will do,  but I think if the ground is suspect then avoid.

Gobs what do you say about this , what is your recommendation.

[sweet nasturtium]

How do you diagnose it?  I wonder whether or not I just got some dodgy seed.  Can you test the soil for it?

[mkhenry]

How do you diagnose it?  I wonder whether or not I just got some dodgy seed.  Can you test the soil for it?

The roots of your affected brasicas look like the fingers of an old lady with knarled knuckles and very bad arthritic joints.
The only real test is once you have grown the plants.

I said bad seed I really mean bad plants, which may have come from infected soil.

When planting you should check each root for signs of club root.  Donot plant any you are worried about.  Donot put them on the compost heap.  Burn them if you can.

This action will help you to avoid passing the infection into your veg beds.

[Kanute]

I'm trying Brussies "resistant" this year.  

If you've got it, keep liming, and use a 4 year rotation

[mkhenry]

I'm trying Brussies "resistant" this year.  

If you've got it, keep liming, and use a 4 year rotation

Yeb the importance of liming cannot be over stressed, when planting brasicas always treat the area with lime as per the instuctions on the packet.  That will help keep the dreaded club root away, that plus trying the resistant varieties.  

[SkipRat]

MKH that makes good sense about liming, as I,ve read somewhere that Clubroot thrives in acid soil, and liming slows it down somewhat.

[sweet nasturtium]

Would club root symptoms include bent cabbage or brussels stalks?

As it's my second year I only have my own plantings to go by it would be lovely if there was a handy little test kit for me to use.  Dream on I hear you say?

[neil1967]

Are the plants still edible if they have club root?

[paintedlady]

Are the plants still edible if they have club root?

Its a plant disease not human!  The plant itself will look unhealthy, probably not look appetising in the first instance so you would not want to eat it, and it will not have even reached maturity either.

Liming does not stop or kill clubroot, merely slows it down.  And I didn't think it was 5 years to ensure it had "gone" - more like 15-20 years :?

Watch out for very rainy weather like last year which will dilute and even wash out your initial liming!  Emphasis should be on growing up your plants so that they have healthy roots, and when planting, dig a hole in the bed (bigger plant pot size for another description) for both the transplanted plant plus additional soil not taken from the plot if you can (in other words, if you can, you are merely using the space to grow but not the soil for the roots to grow into)

Most important if you do suspect clubroot on your plot - have a good hygiene plan!  After digging over a bed, disinfect your tools (eg Jeyes fluid) BEFORE moving onto another bed otherwise you may be spreading it around without realising it!!!!!

[gobs]

Gobs what do you say about this , what is your recommendation.

My honest thoughts on clubroot are probably not suitable for public viewing. :twisted:  :evil:    

S Buczacki  said in his book written decades ago, something like, not much for certain was known about the pathogen but the nature of the disease etc. would suggest it likely that it survives for decades and other non-brassica plants are hosts to it without developing symptoms. So it's always around.

Newer research and advice seems to prove him right on all accounts.

So, for these reasons any short term rotation plan won't have much effect in controlling this particular pathogen.

It spreads with your weather, floods, etc. moving soil particles around.

Early on symptoms won't be noticed, so do not accept young plants from any dubious sources.

Twisted stalks are not a sign of this disease, stunted growth, yellowing foliage, wilt and death are. So edibility of crops will hugely depend on type of crop and how much the disease took hold. Roots: turnip, swede etc. you would not think about eating,  Leaf etc. brassica effected is edible if it has grown

On the positive, not all brassica are equally sensitive to it, so I'm a great believer in resistant varieties on this basis. Broccoli, sprouting broccoli, some khol-rabi, kale and radish (not strictly a brassica) seem to cope better, some say mustard is completely resistant to it.

Draught seems to aggravate the problem, winter ones usually do better.

[sweet nasturtium]

Blimey.  Disinfect the tools.  Oh lordy.  I am doomed to a life of gnarled vegetables.

[mkhenry]

Well done all.  Good and great advice.  Someone in the know once wrote, its best to assume that your soil is or will be infected and act accordingly.

So only plant well established plants coming from a good source, and put a collar of lime around each one.  Replace the lime if washed out  (another good tip.) and watch out for signs of wilt.
Wash/disinfect all tools involved(Yet another top tip) and then sit back and wait for the sun and the rain, plus a little time to finish the job.  

[bedrockdave]

I used a method tried by another gardener last year  as we have club root very bad ,the plant was surronded with a mixture of compost, lime and eggshells ground down finely and it certainly helped.