How To Get Rid Of Plant Rust

Time jetflies...it's May already, and this blog hasn't been updated since January, when hot sunny days were still going on in the southern hemisphere. Now that wintertime is getting closer, we have to look at our cherished plants more carefully to check if they've got any disease, and take the necessary measures to get rid of the unwanted intruders.

It's annoying to find those yellow-reddish or red-yellowish lesions on the plant leaves or on the stems, and you will want to get rid of them ASAP. That's plant rust which is a general term that refers to a rather large family of fungi that attack plants.

Rust fungi are very easy to identify on the plant. They can be characterized by a rust color on plant leaves and stems. The rust will start out as flecks and will eventually grow into bumps, appearing on the underside of the leaves of the plant.

Plant rusts often benefit from mild climates with moderate temperatures and high precipitation. There are higher incidences in wet years, which are prone to the formation of dew on leaves. These factors are ideal for the spores to germinate. So, do not overwater your plants. Also make sure that your plants have good air circulation inside the branches and around the plant itself. This will help it dry off its leaves faster.

The damaged caused by plant rust is irreparable as the plant tissues have no regenerative capacity. Thus, the best thing to do is work on prevention.Remove affected leaves at the first sign of rust color on plant leaves. The faster the affected leaves can be removed, the better chance your plant has for survival. Be sure to dispose of these leaves. Do not compost them.

Then treat your plant with a fungicide. Continue to remove leaves and treat the plant until all signs of the plant rust are gone.

An efficient fungicide is the homemade Bordeaux mixture. It consists of a mixture of copper sulphate, hydrated lime or quicklime and water.

Applications should be made preventively, as the Bordeaux mixture acts by contact, after a few days or after a rain of average intensity, new application must be made. Do not apply directly to all the plants; instead,  test it on a few leaves and see if there is no toxicity.You can dilute or concentrate the syrup if necessary.