How do I get rid of rust on my hollyhocks?

Category: home and garden landscaping
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Cut down hollyhock plants at the end of the season and burn or bury the debris. Use fungicides if necessary. Chlorothalonil and sulfur are good choices. Apply them every seven to ten days or more often if it rains.



Similarly, you may ask, why do my hollyhocks get rust?

Rust is caused by a fungal disease that creates brown-, orange- or rust-colored dots or pustules to appear on the hollyhock foliage. If not treated, rust results in wilted and discolored leaves that fall from the hollyhock. Splashing water and wind easily spread the fungus from one plant to another.

Beside above, how do you treat rust on plants? Treatment
  1. Select rust-resistant plant varieties when available.
  2. Pick off and destroy infected leaves and frequently rake under plants to remove all fallen debris.
  3. Water in the early morning hours — avoiding overhead sprinklers — to give plants time to dry out during the day.

Likewise, people ask, how do you treat hollyhocks?

Remove infected leaves from plants as soon as the fungus is seen. In winter, when the hollyhock dies down, clear away any infected leaves as they will harbour the fungal infection. Weeds such as common mallow, which are related to hollyhocks, also harbour rust so pull them out if they appear in the garden.

Why are my hollyhocks leaves turning brown?

Disease cycle of hollyhock rust Puccinia malvacearum, the rust fungus that infects hollyhock, causes yellow spots on the upper leaf surface, and orange-brown raised pustules on the lower leaf surface. Wet conditions promote infection by the rust fungus. Infected leaves eventually turn brown, wilt, and die.

35 Related Question Answers Found

What does hollyhock rust look like?

What does hollyhock rust look like? Initial symptoms of hollyhock rust are orange to yellow spots (roughly ? to ¼ inches in diameter) on lower leaves. Irregular brown areas may also develop on stems. Severely affected leaves often develop holes that give them a lacy appearance.

What is killing my hollyhocks?

A major problem with hollyhocks is a fungal disease called rust which can survive on infected plant parts from year to year. Other pests such as weevils, caterpillars, and slugs can damage or kill your hollyhocks.

How do you keep hollyhocks healthy?

First thing in the spring make sure to clean up all debris around your hollyhocks to get rid of the overwintering spores on the leaf litter and dead stems. Cultivate the soil surface to a depth of one to two centimetres so that it dries out well: this helps to keep the humidity low around the young leaves.

Do hollyhocks come up every year?

Hollyhocks are biennial plants in many climates, meaning they grow leaves the first year and flower, seed, and die the next. However, depending on their growing conditions, your hollyhocks may keep coming back as short-lived perennials.

How do you get rid of rust fungus?


Organic Sprays to Use
A weekly dusting of sulfur can prevent and treat rust fungus. Neem oil, a botanical fungicide and pesticide, also controls rust. Some organic gardeners swear by baking soda for garden fungus control. The efficacy of baking soda spray may be enhanced by mixing it with light horticultural oil.

What causes rust spots on leaves?

Rust disease is caused by a fungal parasite that needs living plants to survive. Rust diseases occur most often in mild, moist conditions. Rust is spread by spores that are transferred from infected plants to healthy plants. Wet surfaces are also needed to cause infections.

What is wrong with my hollyhocks?

Rust, leaf spots and anthracnose are three types of fungus that attack hollyhocks. Rust is a common problem with hollyhocks and can cause the plants to look ragged. Brown, yellow or orange spots appear as the fungus forms and grows. The damaged leaves will fall off as the disease progresses.

Where are the seeds in hollyhocks?

When hollyhock flowers go to seed, they shrivel and turn brown. Eventually, the petals fall to the ground, leaving large, fuzzy, brown pods behind. These pods are seed pods, and they contain hollyhock seeds. When they've dried to a medium brown on the stalk, it's time to harvest them.

Does hollyhock rust spread to other plants?

Although the plant may not die, you may want to put hollyhocks with rust fungus out of their misery because of the severe disfigurement. Does hollyhock rust spread to other plants? Yes, it does! It only spreads to other members of the Alcea family, so most of your other garden plants are safe.

Do you cut back hollyhocks after flowering?


Pruning: Hollyhock flowers can be removed when they fade and stalks can be cut back after flowering. This will prevent seed heads from forming and reseeding. Although, if you'd like to have seeds set for next spring, leave the flowers and a few stalks until the seeds have dropped.

Can hollyhocks be transplanted?

How to Transplant Hollyhocks. The hollyhock is a garden plant famous for its beautiful, vividly-colored, ruffly flowers. They take a bit longer when they're planted outdoors. The seedlings shouldn't be transplanted until they have at least four leaves and not until the air temperature outside is at least 50 degrees F.

How do you start hollyhock seeds?

Sow hollyhock seeds outdoors just beneath the surface of the soil 1-2 weeks before last frost. Seeds will germinate in 10-14 days. Thin to 18-36 inches apart after seedlings have sprouted. Water as needed during dry conditions to keep flowers blooming.

What is eating my hollyhocks?

The hollyhock weevil eats small irregular holes in the leaves while Japanese beetles can riddle the leaves with holes eventually skeletonizing them. Caterpillars and sawflies can also eat irregular shaped holes in the leaves. Look for them at dusk on the underside of leaves and along the stems and remove any you find.

Do slugs eat hollyhocks?

Hollyhocks are favored by slugs, cutworms, and leaf eating insects. You need to know which you have to know what to do. The slugs (or snails) usually leave roundish holes in the middles of leaves. You will never see a slug in the daytime, but come out a few hours after dark with a flashlight and look for culprits.

Do hollyhocks come true from seed?


Press seeds into the soil and cover lightly with soil, if at all. When seedlings are up and established, thin each group to one plant so it has room to grow. Hollyhocks are open pollinated and will usually come true from seed, although wonderful variations can always surprise you the following year.

What do foxgloves leaves look like?

Look at the shape of the leaves on the plant. Foxgloves have gray-green leaves 4 to 12 inches wide with noticeable vein structure. Because the foxglove produces a large stalk with the flowers located at the top of the plant, the leaves are found towards the base of the plant.

What causes rust on roses?

Rose rust is a disease caused by the parasitic fungus Phragmidium tuberculatum and some other closely related species. It is specific to roses, and appears in spring and persists until the leaves fall. Rose rust is the least serious of the common rose diseases; black spot and rose powdery mildew are far more prevalent.