Carboniferous Hernia: Recognizing Symptoms & Combating

We’ll show you how to recognize the symptoms of the clubhead and how to successfully prevent and control them.

Symptoms of the carbonic hernia

In addition to insects, our beloved cabbage is unfortunately also attacked by a fungal disease that is very difficult to fight. The brassicas (Plasmodiophora brassicae ) is a dreaded disease on all plants of the cabbage family ( Brassicaceae ). An infected cabbage plant can be recognized by the fact that the plant grows poorly at first and later gets withered leaves, which also turn yellow. If your cabbage sags on warm days and the leaves droop, you should dig up one of the sick plants. The fungal pathogen is infected when the roots are thickened in a bulbous, cylindrical shape. To avoid confusion with the cabbage weevil infestation, we recommend cutting a thickened root. If the root is white and not hollow, then it is most likely the cabbage hernia.

Root thickening caused by the carbonic hernia fungus

Pathogen

The clubroot ( Plasmodiophora brassicae ) is a crop rotation disease that is feared in agriculture. The slime mold feels particularly at home in warm and wet soil. If the pH value is also acidic, the cabbage hernia has perfect living conditions. The disease is also dangerous because of its very hard-wearing spores. As a rule, the spores can survive in the ground for many years. So the disease can, unfortunately, break out again after a long break from growing cabbage.

The unpleasant pest nests in the roots of the cabbage plants and releases hormones that lead to the typical thickening of the roots. These tissue overgrowths are used as a source of food by the carbonic hernia. Because of the severe damage to the roots, the plant cannot take out enough water and nutrients. The disease spreads in many ways and is difficult to monitor because the slime mold cannot be seen with the naked eye. It even has spores with so-called flagella. With this thread-like appendage, the spore can move on its own.

Carboniferous Hernia: Preventive Measures

So that the clubhead disease does not occur in the first place, you should take a closer look at its habitat. So the earth! If you have a choice between sandy and heavy loamy soil for cabbage cultivation, then go for the light sandy soil. The soil dries faster and offers poor living conditions for the clubwort. However, the low nutrient content of sandy soils should be taken into account.

So don’t forget about fertilizing, as cabbage is one of the heavy eaters. The second important aspect is pH. Unfortunately, this cannot be seen with the naked eye, but it can be determined with a pH test. If the pH you have measured is below 6, then you should definitely think about liming the soil. Not only does the coal hernia have almost no chance, but the liming has many other positive effects on the soil. This also includes, for example, better nutrient availability.

The clubhead also causes immense damage to the roots of oilseed rape

In addition to the living conditions of the fungus, crop rotation is a central point that must be considered. Ideally, a cabbage patch should only be replanted with cruciferous vegetables after 3 to 5 years. But we also know that this is mostly just wishful thinking. Most vegetable gardens simply do not have enough space to achieve this crop rotation.

There are, however, aids to help the permanent pores of the clubhead in the soil break down more quickly. In addition to green manuring, adding humus can also vitalize the soil. As a result, the natural microorganisms become more active and break down the spores of the clubwort more quickly. In any case, infested cabbage plants and harvest residues belong in the residual waste and must not be placed on the compost. There the permanent spores survive with a little bad luck for up to 10 years.

Fighting the coal hernia

It is not possible to directly control clubroot with pesticides in the private sector. And that’s just as well! Remedies against clubheads are extremely harmful to aquatic organisms and it is not for nothing that there is no approval in the USA for these active ingredients. A very complex form of control is steaming the soil. The fungus is killed by the high temperatures. However, this form of crop protection is very energy-intensive and, in addition, it is hardly feasible for us hobby gardeners. That is why it is all the more important to observe the preventive measures.

The nutrient supply from the roots is no longer sufficient

The cabbage fly also often causes problems for cabbage plants. This article will teach you how to identify and control pesky pests.