| How can I rid my soil of "clubfoot disease"? It kills off all of the smaller root growth, leaving the root looking like a "club". I believe that this is a fungus. It seems to attack only the kale crops (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) |
| Club Root is a fungus (Plasmodiophora brassicae) that can survive in soil for years following an infected crop. All members of the brassica family are susceptible to the disease, including cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc. It's difficult to control once it's in the soil, but if you get a soil pH test done, and it's on the acidic side, you can add hydrated lime to raise the pH above 7. The fungus has a hard time functioning in alkaline soils. I'd rotate my cabbage crops out of the infected bed for several years. There are very few resistant varieties in the cabbage family, so rotation and liming are about the only things you can do at this point. |
