Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Club root
If your brassicas are attacked by this notorious microscopic disease, it's seriously
bad news. Affected plants wilt in warm weather, and in the heat of the polytunnel
they usually die fairly quickly. When the plants are lifted the roots look like
knobbly stumps. Sadly, the infection is both long-lived (microscopic spore-like
'cysts' can live in the soil for up to 20 years) and easily spread on plants, tools,
clothing and shoes. It's not something you can get rid of, but something that you
have to learn to live with.
The most important aspect of club root control is prevention. Always buy brassica
seedlings from reputable 'clean' sources. Never, ever accept brassica seedlings
from well-meaning friends and relatives. Better yet, grow all your brassicas from
Club root
If you hear of club-root infection nearby:
•
Watch existing plants carefully.
•
Earth up around the stems with clean compost to encourage further healthy
root development.
•
Begin giving the plants a foliar feed such as seaweed extract, and continue
until they are harvested, following the manufacturer's directions.
•
Avoid going anywhere near the infected plot, or accepting anything from it.
•
Eliminate alternative wild club-root hosts, which include charlock, wild radish
and shepherd's purse, from the outdoor plot.
•
If you grow on heavy or waterlogged soil, consider building raised beds or digging
in plenty of grit, as club root does best in wet conditions.
•
Pot any future brassica seedlings up to 8cm or even 12cm pots, to make sure
they are as well established as possible before planting.
•
Avoid using mustard as a green manure crop in the outside plot, as it can act
as a host for the disease.
If your plants are affected by club root:
•
As soon as you detect the disease, remove all brassicas from the vicinity and
burn them. Do not add them to your compost system.
•
Completely remove all the topsoil from the affected bed, and dispose of it well
away from the vegetable garden.
•
Lime the hole thoroughly before filling it with fresh, uncontaminated soil.
•
Immediately afterwards clean all your tools and the soles of your shoes with
the plant-based cleaner Armillatox, which is thought to inactivate the spores.
Be aware that it stains clothing.
