Hollyhock Rust
Sparklepinksunflower
Posts: 91
Hi All, My hollyhocks have been decimated by rust this year. I normally get a little bit but its just been stupid this year. The plants are half of what they normally are.Spraying has been totally useless as it was never dry for more then a day or so.
Can I replant holly hocks in the same place or will the spores over winter in the soil and just reinfect me all over again?
Do the rust reistant ones actally resist rust?
Or anyone have any other suggestions for another plant that might work well in stead.
Its a south facing garden and the beds are in full sun, mainly clay soil, but has been very well worked over the years so lovely and well draining.
I like the height of holly hocks and the length of time they flower for allowing me to effectivly screen the flat down stairs patio doors during the summer as its a shared garden (the people down stairs dont utilise the garden at all apart from hanging washing out so have free reign to do nearly what ever i want 
)
couldn't get away with anything perminate like a wall (as much as I would love to) or even shrubs so perenials are perfect, we dont sit in the garden much between Oct & March, so just need something that will that will work late spring right throug to early Autunm.
i am rubbish at growing sweet peas so please dont suggest wigwams of SPs
oh and i am skint right now, so nothing expensive and I work long hours so nothing too needy
Posts
Are you keeping the same plants to flower again?
The reason I ask is if you treat as bi-enniel and discard after flowering then raise fresh ones for flowering the following year -that might work
My impression is that rust resistant varieties partially resist it -but the conditions this year have been ideal for rust and the spores do remain in the soil
Alina usually has some good advice on this-hopefully she will pick it up
For the last 4 or 5 years I have had hollyhocks in this spot. I have changed them occassionally. A couple one year the others then next.
This year I will pull them all out and bin them, can't bear too just yet as dont want to look into downstairs living room. .
are chive rust and hollyhock rust different fungi? As chopped all my chives down yesterday too as they were covered
Have had to cheat a bit here to be sure of my facts but I believe there are different rusts that effect different types of plants-whether chive rust and hollyhock rust are the same I honestly don't know-but found this that probably explains it better
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=756
not sure it matters with the rust/rain/cold/snails/slugs/hail stones/wind/vine weevil etc.
Lily beetle on the other hand have hardly made an appearance this year, but neither have most of my lilies