Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Club Root on Brassicas and White Rot on onions

Here are a few ideas to mitigate the damage from these two bad diseases:
Club Root in brassicas can be helped somewhat by applying the Pre-Plant mix, which is mostly calcium, to your soil. In addition to supplying essential nutrients it will help to achieve a neutral pH. Also, plant in raised, easily-drained beds. Avoid Golden Acre, as it has been very susceptible, in our experience. Two good varieties are Danish Hybrid and Sugar Loaf. Transplant healthy seedlings with a good root-ball, and feed accurately with the Weekly Feed Mix to encourage quick growth.
White Rot on onions can be very difficult. The white varieties are most susceptible, so avoid those if possible. Plant healthy transplants into well-fertilized, raised and easily-drained beds.
Many problems can be avoided or minimized in the vegetable garden if stocky, healthy transplants are grown in a clean planting medium, such as sawdust, peat-moss, perlite, and sand, and transplanted into well-fertilized beds as described above, and then grown to maturity quickly - before pests and diseases get the upper hand.

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