why are they doing this? I had some dust fungus there last month - is this a result of it not going away?
tricolor geraniums
How much sun do they get in that spot? My geraniums do this every year when the summer gets hot and the sun scorches the leaves. I've finally made a more shaded spot for them. It could be fungal or, with all the rain we've had lately, too much water. I think the variegated ones can take less sun that the regular ones, so that'd be my first guess.
not much sun here. in fact, i have ferns behind them
as for the dust fungus, I am betting on that.
should I yank 'em, or will they recover?
I wouldn't yank them, but then I don't give up easily. I've tried a concoction on my roses for fungus that I learned on DG from Frostweed (Josephine). One part milk to ten parts water and spray in the evening. It's worked really well, don't know how it'd do on dust fungus, but it can't hurt. If that doesn't do it, a chemical fungicide would likely work, something like Funginex or Daconil. I stay chemical free when I can, that's why I'd try the milk first.
I'm big on natural. Have my combo soap/baking soda / water in the spray bottle in the garage.
I'll give it a whirl ...
Contact Calif_Sue. She grows a lot of these.