What’s daylily rust and how do I control it?

Daylily rust is evidenced with tiny mustard yellow spots forming primarily on the underside of the foliage. It is spread by spores in the air and some varieties are significantly more susceptible than others. Initially daylily rust was quite prevalent in Florida, but rare elsewhere. Due to its transmission vector and the high rate of susceptibility of daylilies to rust, it is now endemic throughout the United States in areas without a hard winter freeze or an area with no perceptible humidity. This means that desert environments like Arizona and areas as cold as Kansas and Missouri should not have rust winter over. In areas with mild winters it may be a moderate or severe problem and in tropical areas with lots of rainfall, it may be severe. 

We offer the following suggestions to help our customers prevent an infection of rust. First, be able to recognize it. Be sure you know what rust looks like and inspect your plants regularly for traces of it. If you find rust, cut the foliage back to about 3 inches and spray with Daconil Ultrex. This will kill any active spores. This may solve the problem, but you need to revisit this area each week and make sure it's under control. If you have an organic garden and are opposed to spraying, we would recommend you remove any cultivars with significant rust and unless you live in a very tropical environment, you may find the rust while active in your garden, is not objectionable. Be considerate of others though and don't share or sell any plants without informing them that you do have active rust in your garden. We recommend that you buy from nurseries that have active spray programs and sources to minimize your chances of getting rust. 

To learn more about rust, we recommend you visit this website to learn more about daylily rust. http://www.ncf.ca/~ah748/rust.html.

Schreiner’s Gardens guarantees the delivery of rust-free daylilies.