Clubroot! Does Rhubarb work?

[iggyboy]

Recently we had a visit to our allotment in manchester by an elderly lady who gave us her years of experience and advice via a talk night. She had us all in stitches with her comical outlook on allotment life and we all went home far richer for the time she gave us. There was one comment in particular which she came out with that stuck in my mind and I wondered if any of you guys had heard of this your respective selves. She said (knowing full well that our plots are rife with clubroot), that chopped up rhubarb buried around cabbage will leave them clubroot free! Ever heard or tried this? If so please give me your results. I am trying this myself and will let you know any worthwhile results later in the season.

[Snadger]

Oxalic acid is the active ingredient of rhubarb leaves.

I used it to good effect on a plot I had but there are clubroot resistant brassicas now which I use!

[flighty1]

as snadger said its down to the oxalic acid contained within the rhubarb. I always put a small chunk in the bottom of every planting hole when setting out my brassicas.

[burnie]

I always put rhubub leaves in my compost as I was told it helps sterilise the soil,don't know if it works,done it for donkeys years.