How do I get rid of rust on my hollyhocks?
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.
- Select rust-resistant plant varieties when available.
- Pick off and destroy infected leaves and frequently rake under plants to remove all fallen debris.
- 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.
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.