Could this be daylily rust? If so, what do you suggest I do?



This is on the first named hemerocallis to give me a bloom: Siloam Double Classic

The picture is a little too unclear but I don't think so. Can you take off part of an affected leaf, place it on white printer paper, and try a photograph - sometimes that helps the camera focus on the leaf and spots.

There are some pictures of rust, and non-rust on this page, scroll down for the pictures.

http://web.ncf.ca/ah748/FAQ.ht...

With daylily rust the spots will be raised and the orangey spores come off if you wipe the leaf with a white facial tissue, leaving a stain on the tissue. That won't work as well if there aren't a lot of spots though.

Hi BarBalee--You can check for rust take a white Kleenex or paper and fold it around a leaf with spots and pull from the base of the fan to the tip of the leaf. If the kleenex comes up with orange/rust on the cloth, it is rust. If not NO rust. Are your temperatures well over 90? Usually not rust then. I can tell you two things to try if rust, but I am not sure of your temps there. If the Kleenex isn't orange it could be heat damage coupled with insects. I am hoping you will not have to deal with rust.

Well over 90 jere, bit I'll try both those things right after supper.

Thank you and welcome, Sharon!

Re: Sharon's suggestion with kleenex: nope, no orange on the kleenex. Hooray I hope!

RE: The website Sue suggested makes me think it's more likely aphids or spider mites as there are no pustules. To that possibility, I think I should spray with a water/kitchen detergent mix. That can't hurt.

RE: Sue's suggestion to shoot on white paper--it's right below. This happens to be a very young plant, so leaves are five inches at a maximum.



Thank you, thank you both!

The brown areas are quite extensive, do you have leafminer damage on your daylilies? I see a couple of places that could be mines that have turned brown but can't be sure. It still doesn't look like daylily rust (the Kleenex test can give a false negative if there aren't a lot of pustules). I would make sure you really do have something that needs spraying because kitchen detegent sprays can damage leaves when the weather is hot, sunny and dry.

Hmmmm, Sue. I'll look up leafminers and see what I think. I have to go to an extension office on Weds., so if it may be either, I'll take a leaf to them and hope they know. Bless you!

If it's leafminer you would see mines like the pics in the link below before they turn brown. Great idea to ask at the extension office because it will be easier than a photo. It's always possible there is more than one thing going on.

http://www.daylilies.org/ahs_d...

I looked at this one and all its neighbors...there are no whitish tracks..all are orange dots or larger orange areas. From reading the first website, I think this is aphids or spider mites, but I'm such a newbie I hesitate to say that!

BarBalee--Great news no rust! I think you had aphids and the damage they did really shows up later in the Texas heat. I take a five gallon bucket put 1/3 cup baking soda and 2 tablespoons regular Palmolive dish soap. Take a pitcher and using about 2 quarts wash my day lilies.
I usually do this at the end of March, and whenever I have a problem.
Unfortunately this year it should of been done mid-February. I would wash affected day lilies, but be prepared that the heat on top of the fact the aphids already had lunch your foliage will not look good and they may not bloom. They may even go heat dormant. I have a few other suggestions but do not want to ramble on. May we be blessed with a cool down without severe weather.

And Sue is right about being careful in the heat what you apply to your daylilies. If you soak your daylilies first you should still be able to wash them with the baking soda and soap. NO oil to the mixture. Just like laundry you might want to wash just one fan and see how it does.

Soak it as if it hadn't been planted? Just a bucket of warm water on the roots and then wash the leaves? And then re-plant it? These are babies-only been in the ground for 3 months, so I only have 1 fan. Now I'm a little confused, Sharon!

Sorry I typed soak and was trying to not spell saturate. If your daylily is well watered it will absorb less of anything you put on it and the baking soda and soap is an external treatment or a topical treatment. So after watering, you can dip a paper towel in the mixture and wipe the leaves if you see signs of the aphids still on the daylily. Then pour about 2 quarts all over the daylily trying to get both sides of the leaves. I just talk to my daylilies and tell them they are getting a bath.

Ah, Sharon, that makes sooo much more sense now! I got it.

I'm glad it's not the monster 'RUST' Barbalee I know my Flore Plenos had some bugs early in the season when the weather were cool and wet..and I sprayed them with Insectidal Soap and it worked...

I'm sure glad, too, JavaMom!