@spunky1
What a huge mess! I would take rust over Fire Ants any day.
If Rust is considered a nuisance, then I assume it will not kill the daylily?

virginiarose said:@spunky1
What a huge mess! I would take rust over Fire Ants any day.
If Rust is considered a nuisance, then I assume it will not kill the daylily?

I don't know of any daylilies actually killed by rust; it may weaken some plants to the point of allowing other factors to come in and kill it but rust would most likely not be the actual killer.

I hate fire ants because you don't always see their mounds when you go to dig in a bed. They make them in/around the rocks and then swarm you when they get the least bit disturbed

Gleni said:Oh no. You have fire ants too??

Glen, you are starting to sound like Susan! Oh no.

They have spent millions trying to stop their spread here in Queensland. They will give in in the end. So sad.

Fred - Thanks for your response. I didn't know that rust in daylilies was now considered more of a nuisance than a killer of the plants. It appears that the most successful way to control rust is the products and regime that Michele uses. Let's hope that daylilies are genetically changing to resist rust.

On the [email protected], there is mention of a dissertation done in the early 1900's concerning rust and insects. Basically the article suggests that insect attacks to a plant show less rust attacks. Go figure on that one! The full article is available in pdf format here. It's rather interesting read:
https://ia600200.us.archive.or...

Fire ants are a REAL issue here. Many people/children have an allergic reaction to fire ant bites. Unfortunately, I think they are here to stay! There is ongoing research using the tiny phorid fly in combating fire ants:
http://web.biosci.utexas.edu/f...

Most interesting all of this old and new research!

beckygardener said:

On the [email protected], there is mention of a dissertation done in the early 1900's concerning rust and insects. Basically the article suggests that insect attacks to a plant show less rust attacks. Go figure on that one! The full article is available in pdf format here. It's rather interesting read:
https://ia600200.us.archive.or...

There is conflicting info on rust out there. I have read that the rust spores need an opening to get inside the plant to begin with and then others say that it does not. what to believe So I'm not sure if insect damage hinders rust or helps it along.

It may just a timing thing but I notice more rust appearing when I notice more insect damage which would lead me to believe the insect damage is possibly letting the spores into the plant. But like I said it could just be that it all appears at the same time and one has nothing to do with the other.

@tink3472, Thank you Michele, that is why I was interested in the insecticidal soap because I have the aphids and ignored them. For now on I want to keep the aphids away and see if they do better. I think it is a good place to start.

Michele - I am wondering the same thing. This might make for a good experiment. I might just try treating most of my daylilies for pests and NOT treat a few of the others .... and see what happens. I don't want to lose any to mites, but it may happen. What else is known to actually kill daylilies? I don't believe aphids could, is that correct?

From the [email protected], I was told that Daylily rust actually enters the plant through the
stomata in the leaf, see:

http://web.ncf.ca/ah748/diagra...

Very interesting! I read that the aphids suck sap from the leaves and so I think that weakens the plant and interrupts the resistance if any. I am going to work on getting rid of them buggers. Hopefully the aspirin spray will help stimulate the immune system. But either way I think a healthy plant will have more of the resistance we are looking for.

I wish I could remember where I read that the spores need an opening to enter the plant, I can't seem to find it at the moment.

http://plantclinic.cornell.edu...


This article does say that germination needs access to the internal plant tissue and often gains access through the stomata, but I am sure it would take advantage of any opening.

I don't know how many of you are subscribers to "DaylilyBReeder" hosted by Brian Reeder, but I received the "Breeding for Rust Resistance in Daylilies: Part 7" email and a new one today about his breeding program. This man is doing some absolutely fascinating research and development of rust resistant daylilies. The pages of his 2013 Tets and Dips seedlings and blooms are truly an inspiration. I am very impressed with everything he is doing and what a gift that he is sharing it with those following his blog and email chain.

http://daylilybreeder.blogspot...

Charlotte Chamitoff of Charlotte's Daylily Diary has featured his garden in her blog as well. Gosh! I wished I lived near him. I am so encouraged by all the research, breeding, and seedlings he is producing to create gorgeous daylilies that are rust resistant. What a blessing he is to the daylily hybridizers of the world!

http://www.daylilydiary.com/7_...

I need to move to Kentucky! LOL!

Thanks Becky!! I subscribed to the email and bookmarked the blog site. I did not read tonight, I am too tired.

virginiarose said:

That is fine, I will cut them way down and then spray. I have the Bayer 3-in-1, on the back it said it kills rust.

what kind is this??

I have found that bayer works wonders in the garden, plants have perked up after just one use for us in the north for insect control, never tried it for rust, but in zone 4b rust is never a problem It all starts for me in spring, when planting newbies near by.

Take note: Bayer is very poisonous to butterflies, and humming birds!

One idea! at first distance newbies in pots away, preferably down wind from your garden to help prevent the wind from carrying rust spores entering into your healthy area! I hope this helps you ! Neeneekins

I typically get rust with new daylilies. But as each year passes, the rust problem seems to lessen. Though I do purposely choose a lot of cultivars that show rust resistance.

Bayer 3-in-1 does suppress daylily rust, but the systemic insecticide (Imidacloprid) which comes along for the ride is very harmful to bees, and has been shown to persist in plant tissues for up to 6 months. I only use it on "non-flowering" plants and first-year daylily seedlings in their flats, and sparingly, at that.

For rust, get an appropriate fungicide. I've never liked the idea of multipurpose garden chemicals with tag-along insecticides—there are usually more negatives than positives. It's as if the manufacturers assume that the consumer is either stupid or lazy. It's also the logical result of "checklist" marketing. I think the worst example of this is when Imidacloprid is compounded with fertilizers. I always wonder how many people have inadvertently used it on their vegetable gardens.

The other problem with the all-in-one products is that when they become more popular, the individual components, (which are usually very effective chemicals) become hard to find in consumer-labeled products. For example, the miticide in Bayer 3-in-1 is highly effective, but it's not available separately. Actually, every component of the product works great, I just don't want to apply all of them when I only need one.

@CaliFlowers
What would be an appropriate fungicide? I have tried some of the commonly recommended ones with no success. It seems the commercial ones are really not packaged for the home gardener.

@Seedfork
I use Honor Guard PPZ. Rust isn't too much of a problem here; the humidity is fairly low, there's no rain from approximately mid-June through September, and I try to water early in the day. I do some spot treatments in the spring and fall, and that usually keeps the rust down to a dull roar.