[cockahoot]

Hi all i just thinned out some of my broccoli on me veg patch and noticed club root, what is it? can it be cured? and is my crop going to be any good. Big thanks to any replies.

[Ice]

Might be useful if you could post a photo so we can be sure it is indeed club root.

[ember]

Hi Cockahoot.
If it is club root there is no cure.
How your crop will be affected will depend on the severity of the infestation and soil acidity.
Lime helps tremendously. Check your ph this needs to be 7ish for brassicas. If you are less than this get your brassica section well limed and fork or hoe in.
I have patchy club root on my plot. I give a general liming winter/early spring. Then when I plant my brassicas out I lime each planting hole with a good handful. I grow my brassicas on in 5"/12.5cm pots until they are about 5"/12.5 cm tall (about 3 pairs of leaves) so they develop a really good root system before planting. This gives tham a head start in the club root war.
Seems to be working ok so far so the extra bit of work is worth it.
Good luck with your crop(s). M

[mumofstig]

and you can buy clubroot resistant varieties of brassicas, which should help.

[Paul Plots]

I was told, long ago, that adding a lump of rhubarb to each planting hole helps.  :blink:

What a load of old-cods-wallop! 

I think the idea was to make the soil more acidic using the rhubarb but I've not once met anyone who tried it and found it worked. 

[ember]

I think the idea was that the juice in the rhubard killed off the virus. Apparently oxalic acid, in rhubarb leaves, slows it down.
Soil needs to be alkaline not acidic.
Confusion by chemistry 
M

[someoneorother]

I think the idea was that the juice in the rhubard killed off the virus.

Given that club root is a fungus...

[Kleftiwallah]

Grow your brassicas in pots transplanting up until they have a well established good root system strong enough to withstand clubroot.    Cheers,   Tony.

[DD.]

Is that not what ember said three down from the top of the page?

[ember]

I think the idea was that the juice in the rhubard killed off the virus.

Given that club root is a fungus...

  shame on me   you're quite right Someoneorother  

[Kleftiwallah]

"Great minds think alike". 

Club root is why it is better not to accept brassica seedlings from other gardeners.  Very easy to import into your soil and as has been said, extremely difficult to get rid of.    Cheers,   Tony.

[Aunt Sally]

"Great minds think alike". 

Club root is why it is better not to accept brassica seedlings from other gardeners. 

... unless grown in commercial potting compost.

[Paul Plots]

I think the idea was that the juice in the rhubard killed off the virus. Apparently oxalic acid, in rhubarb leaves, slows it down.
Soil needs to be alkaline not acidic.
Confusion by chemistry 
M

Ooooh... in that case I think a good heap of Swiss Chard in the hole ought to do the trick as it's full of it. 

I don't think I'll try it though 

[ember]

Me neither Learner. 
M