Help!! Got to the plot yesterday and discovered my garlic are covered in rust :'( Is there anything I can do to treat them? Will it ruin the garlic or can it survive? I've never had this problem before and all my reference book said was that it was rare. It didn't give any sugestions as to how to help. The garlic is in the same bed as the onions but they aren't showing any signs of it at the moment. Is it likely to spread?
I don't have a clue about treatment but mine has the same problem, I will be watching with interest to see if anybody knows how to cure it.
Helen x
Are you sure that it is rust?
I find that some of the older leaves die back a bit at this time of year to be replaced with new.
These older leaves can look a bit 'chlorotic' (pale areas on leaves) I guess this could be mistaken for 'rust'
As you probably have guessed I am guessing and trying to be optimistic because if it IS rust then the only cure is removal.
edit; a picture would be useful!!
To add to TEE GEE,s post i don,t think it has been humid enough for rust to develop also are there weeds in amongst or near to your garlic
The outer leaves are starting to turn yellow but I wasn't too worried about that. The problem is the small spots (2-3mm) that are a rusty colour. They are all over the outer leaves and also on some of the greener inner leaves. I'll try and post a picture this evening once I've been to the plot.
Our whole site was hit last year by rust and nearly everybody lost all their garlic, a lot of the onions and shallots and only very late leeks sruvived.
Hope it isn't the same thing we had. Though worrying signs on one or two plots already showing spots. Grateful for photos and will post anything I see myself.
John
Provado liquid rings a bell.
Also Dithane by Bayer?........ that seems to be a vage memory.
I keep bonsai trees and i have a crab apple that suffered a couple of moons ago. that worked great.
Provado is available at the likes of Wilko's and is cheaper than your garden centre.
P.S Don't spray in bright sunlight I recall, it leaves a pale residue but anything is better than Rust.
Best of luck
Didn't manage to get any photo's but another plot holder has confirmed it is rust. Apparently it's endemic on our site. He said he trys to keep his garlic in the ground until the end of May and then harvests them at that point. Any later and the rust kills them totally. Thanks for your suggestions but I think this may be a losing battle :'( :'( :'(
Hi
Have a look here
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techniques/pests/rust.htm
Hope it helps
good luck
Debbie
There is only one product I know that is a cure for rust and that is a product called 'Tilt'
It is made by ICI (or whatever the call themselves these days) and to get it you may have to go through the 'back door' to a commercial grower.
It is so strong you need to measure it out with an eyedropper or syringe, after all it is for commercial growing so then it is mixed in large batches thus making it easier to measure.
Other than that you could try a 'fungicide' such as Nimrod T or even Armillatox is worth a try.
But generally when a plant/s succumbs to the problem apart from using 'Tilt' everything else may just slow the disease down but not cure it.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help!
I spent an hour and a half removing all the leaves with rust on them from my garlic. They now look rather strange and I've probably wasted my time because it will have got into the stems. I'll let you know the result.
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The leeks ("Bandit") next door (planted lasted year) were pretty much unaffected but I'm worried about my onions.
They don't sound very bad at all. I always get rust spots on my garlic, and still get good crops. Last year it was so bad the leaves died. I still got a crop.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on May 13, 2008, 13:25:51
They don't sound very bad at all. I always get rust spots on my garlic, and still get good crops. Last year it was so bad the leaves died. I still got a crop.
But it's only May...
Did the ones you harvested store ok?
I have a vague nagging thought that's saying chelated Iron - that may help plants stave it off or cope better with it, rather than irradicate it. I remember it in connection to rust on Hollyhocks, so it may be complete waffle in relation to garlic.
Yes, they lasted till April, same as always.
Fingers crossed then :)