I believe that one of my raised garden bed plot has been infested with the dreaded clubroot spores. This is the plot that I used this year for my broccoli and cauliflower. All the plants basically wilted up and died and when I pulled the plants up, the roots were swollen and looked like brains. I am not sure how this one plot became infected as I planted nursery bought plants and used sea soil compost to mix in the soil. I would like to test all my other plots now to determine if they have been affected as well. I would appreciate some guidance going forward in learning how to manage the infected plot, and finding out what I can plant in it going forward as well as ensuring that I do not spread this spore to my other plots if they have not already been infected. thank you
According to some websites, clubroot spores can last up to 20 years; but I managed to rid my garden of most clubroot with a 7 year rotation cycle. I mark my garden map wherever clubroot appears and then try to avoid planting any Brassicas in that location as long as I can. However, some kinds of Brassicas seem resistant to it. Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels Sprouts are the most susceptible, but I've never had it affect Arugula, rapini, kale, or Oriental mustard greens. So, I'm not as careful about where I put the latter. I've found that I can control minor occurances by carefully removing all of the affected plant roots and disposing of them away from the garden and compost pile. Note that you don't have to put the roots in the trash; I usually bury affected roots in my raspberry beds. The tops of the affected plants go into the compost pile. It is best if you remove affected roots while the swelling and nodules are still solid. When the spores mature, the affected areas turn soft and mushy, making them difficult to remove without leaving behind many spores. In that case it's best to remove the soil around the roots and dispose of it away from the garden. It helps if the pH of the soil where Brassicas are planted is kept on the alkaline side. A pH above 7.2 is supposed to suppress spore germination.
