Club root?

[Julie Q]

On the first day at my new allotment, an old salt dropped by to tell me not to bother with cabbages, sprouts or cauliflowers because the allotments had 'club root'.

The guys next door to me (also newcomers) have cabbages that look great (obviously I cant see the roots).......but every so often I see the old guy look over as if to say "I told 'em, they'll learn" lol

Has anyone had any experience of this stuff? (club root, not smiling old guys). Is it as bad as the articles I've read make it appear to be?

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Julie, welcome to our forum! Fortunately club root is something that I have never had problems with but a tip I was given about five years ago is to put a piece of rhubarb leaf in the bottom of the planting hole. It worked for the guy who told me this and he had always had trouble with club root before using the rhubarb leaf. Some people bury part of a stick of rhubarb next to the plant.

[Digindeep]

We've a couple of 'ole sages on our allotments, the Grim Reaper and his ably sidekick...Can't plant this , don't do this that ect....
oKAY I'm all for listening and willingly take advise, but in the end, just because they have had club root 20+yr back....Well you still have to try...
Rhubarb is one way and also as you dibble the hole to plant sprinkle a soonful of lime into the hole, plant and firm in add more lime to topsoil...Best of luck..
Always worth a try....

[DavidT]

Another preventative, is to make a paste of 50% soil and 50% lime, add water and mix until it`s a smooth paste. Dip the brassica roots into this before planting. Very often, though people confuse the damage caused by the Turnip Gall Weevil as Club Root. If your plants grow to a decent size but the roots are swollen, have very little trace of rot and DO NOT smell of rotten cabbage, then the odds are it is Weevil. The early signs of Club Root damage, are a bluish tint to the plants and wilting.If you lift a plant you will find there is very little root system left because of rotting. They will not reach anywhere near maturity either.

[Julie Q]

Thank you for that great advice !

[Tom J]

i have a brocolli plant (still in a pot) that has gone purpleish, would this mean it has this disease?

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Tom, broccoli plants do have a strange range of coloured leaves including purple / blueish. If the plant has club root the growth would be stunted and if this is the case then if you tip the plant out of the pot the root would be swollen and like a stump. Good luck!