I'm sure I'm tempting fate here, so this is a whispered blog... but my hollyhocks don't have rust.
I'm sure I'm tempting fate here, so this is a somewhat whispered blog... but my hollyhocks don't have rust.
I planted my hollyhocks about eight or ten years ago; some are now nearly as tall as me, but most of them are just half my height. As yet, their foliage is perfect; there's no hint of the telltale raised orange-brown pustules on the undersides of the leaves.
Hollyhock rust is caused by the insidious fungus Puccinia malvacearum and only affects hollyhocks and mallows. The fungus overwinters on infected plant debris, then the spores are carried on air currents to hollyhock or mallow leaves. The leaves are soon infected with rust, becoming distorted and discoloured, then dying back.
If the plant suffers from prolonged attacks for several years in a row, it rarely flowers well.
The infection is said to have caused the hollyhock's declining popularity with florists. I can't help wondering, though, if the fact that few of us now have vases or hallways big enough for hollyhocks is also a factor.
We've had a damp start to the year; moisture on leaf surfaces can accelerate infection, so I'm surprised my plants haven't been affected. Last year they weren't so lucky, although the infection wasn't too severe. Now, I've got my fingers, toes and knees crossed, hoping that they remain untouched.
I'll be watching my hollyhocks closely to see if the rust fungus develops. If and when it does, I'll remove infected leaves as soon as I spot the infection, hopefully keeping it under control - but that might not be easy with all my digits and limbs crossed!
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