Coping with Club Root - Plasmodiophora Brassicae

What is Club Root?

Clubroot is a serious disease that affects brassicas. It is caused by a soil borne organism Plasmodiophora Brassicae. The organism produces cysts that remain in the soil until a suitable host is available to infect, starting the cycle again. The cysts can live for 8 or 9 years so normal rotations are of little use in eliminating the problem

It is easily spread, just walking from an infected patch onto a clean patch of land will infect the soil. It can also travel on plants, so do not accept brassica seedlings where the source is not known to be clean.

Symptoms of Club Root

The first sign is a wilting of plants, especially in dry weather. The plants fail to develop well and often fail to develop a crop. Examining the roots you will notice swellings and roots that look knobbly, like advanced arthritis which is where the old colloquial name of 'fingers and toes' comes from.

Coping With Club Root

Once you have clubroot on your plot I'm afraid you are stuck with it. The good news is that you can continue to grow brassicas successfully with careful cultivation.

First practice good hygiene. When your brassicas are finished carefully remove all the roots and do not compost them, either treat as household waste or incinerate. Remember that the affected family includes radishes and mustard, do not use a mustard green manure and remove radishes that have gone over promptly and do not compost them. This will reduce the reservoir of the organism in the soil.

Start your brassicas off in modules using bought in composts to which a small amount of lime has been added and pot up to 3" and then at least 5" pots before planting out. This allows the plant to develop a good root system prior to infection.

Clubroot thrives best in acid wet soils so ensure your brassica bed is well dug adding grit if need be to keep the soil free draining, Take the pH up to 7.5 or even as high as 8.5 by adding lime (see the information on garden lime). Before planting, dig a hole at least 30cm deep and in diameter and then dust with lime to whiten the soil in the hole. Fill the hole with bought in multi-purpose compost and then plant in this.

This method has been proven to work and enable good quality crops to be taken - even prize winning cauliflowers. It is a lot of work and you may feel that just growing completely in containers is your best solution.

Do try these club root resistant brassica varieties, but remember this is resistance not total immunity.

Club Root Resistant Swede Invitation (Suttons Seeds)

A breeding breakthrough, Invitation is a strong-growing, Clubroot resistant variety which also benefits from Powdery Mildew resistance and improved winter hardiness over other varieties.

This variety has won the coveted RHS 'Award of Garden Merit' . 

Swedes, being in the ground for a long time, are very susceptible to club root so this is a blessing for the grower with an afflicted plot. More Information From Suttons Seeds

Club Root Resistant Cauliflower Clapton (Thompson & Morgan)

The first cauliflower with Clubroot (Plasmodiophora Brassicae) resistance. Clapton is a versatile late summer to late autumn maturing variety, depending on its sowing time that produces excellent flavoured quality, uniform, large, solid and deep white heads.

It has taken over 18 years of conventional breeding to develop a variety that can combat the devastating brassica disease Clubroot

More Information from Thompson & Morgan

Club Root Resistant Cabbage Kilaxy (Dobies)

Highly resistant to Club Root (Plasmodiophora Brassicae) disease. On our trials it produced an excellent crop on infected land where other varieties become stunted and failed.

A top quality late summer/ autumn cabbage of the round headed Dutch White type, with solid compact heads of around 2kg in weight, which both stand and store well.

More Information from Dobies Seeds

Club Root Resistant Cabbage Kilaton (Thompson & Morgan)

Kilaton has a high level of Clubroot (Plasmodiophora Brassicae) resistance producing quality, 2kg, autumn ballheads with a solid, dense structure. Superb used for coleslaw, salads or steamed.
Kilaton F1 Hybrid will stand for a long while in the garden and keep in good condition. It also stores exceptionally well over a long period without deterioration allowing gardeners more time to enjoy its delicious flavour.

More Information from Thompson & Morgan

More on Brassicas

• Coping with Club Root - Plasmodiophora Brassicae
• Brassica Pests & Problems
• Cabbage Root Fly
• Growing Cabbages
• Growing Cauliflowers
• Growing Brussels Sprouts
• Growing Swedes
• Growing Brocolli
• Growing Calabrese
• Growing Turnips
• Growing Radishes
• Growing Romanesco

Allotment Articles
Help & Advice