Is there a Receipe for a home made Rust killer?

Has anyone heard of a mix that can control and kill Cedar apple rust ? I live 18 miles from town and I'm trying to save all the gas I can, But I just went out and found rust on my Holly hocks that I started this spring! I have a fruit tree spray with Captan in it but it does not list Cedar Apple rust. Does anyone know if this might even help for a few days until I get to town? ( I bought fruit spray from garden center that told me it would kill it on my apples, but I just now looked at the information slip and cedar apple rust is not listed! I should have read it myself ! ) MeganO

Your hollyhocks don't have cedar apple rust, that's a very specific type of rust that has alternating hosts of a Juniperus species and something in Rosaceae (most frequently apples, quince, or hawthorn although some other genera can sometimes be hosts as well). Hollyhock rust is a different organism. I have no idea if Captan has any effect on it either, but when you're looking for suggestions of things to try you may have more options for hollyhock rust than for cedar apple rust. Also hollyhock rust is unsightly but doesn't kill the plants and won't spread to much of anything besides other hollyhocks, so I wouldn't stress over it too much if it's a little while before you can get into town and find something for it. Rust is also one of those things that's more easily controlled before the fact rather than after--the best thing you can do may be to live with it for now but stay on top of picking up fallen leaves, then this fall cut the plants down and make sure there are no rusty leaves left in the area, then next year try some preventative spraying before the rust shows up. Here are some references where you can read up on it:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/plantdiseasefs/450-613/450-613.html
http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/A2613.pdf
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/index.html#http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/PLANTS/holyrust.html
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1412.html

Ecrane3 thanks for all of the info, I'm not sure what I will do.. I potted up about 400 plants, to sell at the local flea market, I dont have a commercial licence to get chemicals. After taking a pesticides course in college years ago I decided not to get licence, It was a very unsettling course hearing of all the side affects from the chemicals! I have worked in the retail end of horticulture for years but this is my 1st time really growing anything to sell.. These plants might end up in the compost ... thanks again Megan O

You don't need a commercial license, there should be fungicides available to the public that will work. If you didn't see any in the links I gave you that you can buy, then call your extension office, they will definitely have suggestions for you. However, since rust is hard to treat once it's already established, I'm not sure you'll get these into saleable condition if they've already got symptoms. Next time you might consider looking for rust resistant hollyhocks, nothing is 100% rust-proof but there are resistant cultivars that are much less prone to it.

ecrane3 ,, to tell you the truth this was not one of my brightest moments !!! I have serious problems in my flower beds with rust's, black spot, and others, the humidity is so high here and I use over head watering, and the bi annuals and perennials I planted are just feet from my garden ! So I should have known better when I planted these. I guess I just had one of those blond moments!! Seems like after I hit 40 I've had more and more of those!! Megan O

Hey, we all have those moments! Live and learn! LOL

There is not much you can do for the infective plants as the fungus is inside the leaf.
You can protect next years crop by proper sanitation as ecrane3 stated.
You can remove any cedar apple[fungus spore cases] on the cedars before they release the spores.
You can kill spores on your hollyhocks with a spray of mild bleach to keep them from spreading to other plants.
I use Deconal and Headline sprays during humid weather
Added always spray in late afternoon to prevent sun scald.

This message was edited Jul 24, 2008 4:16 PM

well just to let you guys know what happened I went and bought some Bayleton, I had never used it before, mostly because I hate to use chemicals,, well I sprayed everything and its all about 25 feet from my house, Well the smell was so bad I had to take my 2cats and 1dog and go stay with a friend for the last 2 days,,,, Its really powerful stuff,,