Club Root

If you have cabbage family members planted in your fall garden, club root is something to be concerned about. There’s no cure for this root disease, but you can take measures to prevent it.

If you have cabbage family members planted in your fall garden, club root is something to be concerned about. There’s no cure for this root disease, but you can take measures to prevent it.

Club root is caused by the fungus Plasmodiophora brassicae. The disease affects all crucifers, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and radishes. Since the fungus can live in the soil for up to 10 years, the best course of action to prevent a crop massacre is rotating crop placement every season. If the soil is known to be infected with club root, use limestone to adjust the soil pH to a less acidic range, which should kill the fungi. If you have any question about club root in the soil, contact your local extension office for a soil test before planting.

The main above-grouns symptom of club root is plants wilting during the day and reviving at night. Eventually older leaves yellow and drop from the plant, and roots become swollen and distorted. If you look at the plant roots, they’ll appear swollen and club-like. Due to the root damage and inability to absorb enough water, plants stop growing and may eventually die.