Rust Control in Your Garden

Rust is a fungal disease that is easily identified by the many orange, brown or reddish pustules on leaves or stems, which break open and release masses of spores. Rust is a common disease of a wide range of ornamental plants such as calendulas, roses, snapdragons, geraniums and gerberas, as well as vegetables like beans and tomatoes. Rust can also attack turf and has become a serious disease of Frangipani, willow and poplar trees. Different Rust fungi are quite specific in the host plants they affect. For example, Rust on Geraniums won't spread to other plants.

Rust fungus grows within the leaf. Early symptoms of infected plants include orange or yellow spots on the upper surface of leaves, followed by brown or orange pustules on the underside of infected leaves or along stems. Rust can also cause growth to distort or reduce, or cankers or galls to form. In severe cases, plants can lose all their leaves.

• Calendulas
• Carnations
• Roses
• Snapdragons
• Geraniums
• Gerberas
• Hollyhocks
• Climbing and Dwarf Beans
• Broad Beans
• Tomatoes
• Stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, plums, nectarines, apricots) and almonds
• Grape vines
• Lawn

Depending on the plant that is affected, there are different options for controlling Rust.

Yates Rose Gun: ready to use spray that's ideal for controlling Rust infections on Roses and other ornamental plants.

Yates Rose Shield Concentrate: a concentrate that's ideal for controlling Rust on larger numbers of Roses and ornamental plants.

Yates Lime Sulfur: suitable for use on Roses & ornamentals, as well as stone fruit, pome fruit, and tomatoes and other vegetables.

Yates Liquid Copper Fungicide: a broad-spectrum fungicide that controls Rust on Beans and Beetroot.

• Avoid overhead watering. Wet foliage creates ideal conditions for the Rust spores to germinate and develop.
• Water plants in the morning (rather than later in the day), so plant foliage can dry off more rapidly.
• Grow Rust susceptible plants in areas with good air circulation. This helps to reduce the amount of time leaves stay wet.
• Monitor plants regularly for early signs of Rust infection, particularly during damp conditions.
• Practice good garden hygiene by cleaning up and disposing of any fallen Rust infected leaves.
• Control garden weeds, as they can harbour plant diseases like Rust.
• Keep plants healthy and well-fed by regularly using fertilisers like Yates Thrive and Yates Dynamic Lifter. Healthy plants are more resistant to disease infection.
• Spray with a suitable fungicide at the earliest sign of infection and repeat application as per label instructions.