I searched the forum and found some threads about this. There were many different methods for controlling it - and I plan to research it. My hollyhocks are showing signs of rust now. All of them. They did wonderful this summer. Why now - we've already had our first frost and now the plant look sick? What should I do? I cut them down about 8" to the ground - and I tossed the remains in the garage.
Is it in the soil? Should I still treat the plant with fungicide?
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Sharon Marie
- Senior Member
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- Location: Jeffersonville, IN
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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Here's something I found about it:
Disease Cycle
Large numbers of tiny rust colored teliospores develop in the rust pustules. These spores are carried by splashing rain and air currents to nearby healthy plant parts and cause new infections. The fungus overwinters in infected plant debris. In the spring new infectious spores are formed on infected plant debris that cause infection on the newly emerging leaves.
Control Strategies
To try to break the disease cycle, it is important to cut all hollyhock stalks back to ground level in the fall, and carefully collect all leaves and other aboveground plant parts and destroy them. This autumn cleanup is vital to remove as much inoculum as possible before spring, and it must be done thoroughly. Avoid crowding plants, and water early in the day so the above ground plant parts will dry quickly. If found in the vicinity, the weed mallow should be removed and destroyed.
https://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/hollyhockrust/hollyhockrust.htm[/u]
Hope this helps! So no, I wouldn't bother with the fungicide at this point, just do the cutting down and cleaning up as above.
Disease Cycle
Large numbers of tiny rust colored teliospores develop in the rust pustules. These spores are carried by splashing rain and air currents to nearby healthy plant parts and cause new infections. The fungus overwinters in infected plant debris. In the spring new infectious spores are formed on infected plant debris that cause infection on the newly emerging leaves.
Control Strategies
To try to break the disease cycle, it is important to cut all hollyhock stalks back to ground level in the fall, and carefully collect all leaves and other aboveground plant parts and destroy them. This autumn cleanup is vital to remove as much inoculum as possible before spring, and it must be done thoroughly. Avoid crowding plants, and water early in the day so the above ground plant parts will dry quickly. If found in the vicinity, the weed mallow should be removed and destroyed.
https://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/hollyhockrust/hollyhockrust.htm[/u]
Hope this helps! So no, I wouldn't bother with the fungicide at this point, just do the cutting down and cleaning up as above.
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Sharon Marie
- Senior Member
- Posts: 167
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:25 pm
- Location: Jeffersonville, IN
Milk contains lactobacillus, a very helpful bacterium. If you use our "Search the Forum" feature and simply enter the word "lactobacillus," you'll see the wide variety of plants whose attacks by different fungi can be helped by applications of dilute lactobacillus.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
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Sharon Marie
- Senior Member
- Posts: 167
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:25 pm
- Location: Jeffersonville, IN