For those of us in the steamy Southeast where rust is a problem; how often do you spray or treat with fungicide? I have been spraying with Safer's and now Physan every 3 weeks but with our daily downpours I am not sure the stuff is not being washed away before it can do any good. Is there such a thing as a systemic fungicide? What do you think would happen if I lightly dusted the soil surface with baking soda every once in a while; would it kill any spores on the surface? My plant gets plenty of air circulation but with the humidity we are experiencing it still gets spotty leaves - which I cut off promptly.
Now that I have learned I can easily store plumies over the winter I want (crave) more but I don't want to have to resort to spraying (or chemicals) so often. Am I being unrealistic?
alice (in the plumie rust belt)
fungicide ideas needed
Alice,
You can't live in the rust belt I do and with 600 plumies spraying isn't much fun.
You aren't really doing any good with the stuff you buy fron Home Centers you need to find a Nursery Suppy place and look for a Systemic Spray with Bayalaton in it and us it every week for 3 weeks and it should help I had to cut all my leaves off and restart with all the rain we get here almost everyday.
Do not use the granular stuff it takes all the nutirants from the soil in order to work. Use the spray. Much better I hope this will help.
Roger
Here's a link to what Roger is referring to: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1922.html I too have heard that it works very well.
Thanks Roger and Clare, I know where to get Bonide products and will go look for the Bayleton ASAP.
Roger, I can't imagine having to cut the leaves of 600 plants! Wow, I wish I could see (and smell) them when they are blooming. This rainy season has been hard on some plants but the humidity at 80% and higher has been harder; nothing ever drys out. But, it could be worse I guess; some parts of the counrtry are experiencing a drought. Wish we could share some of our moisture.