Rust Plant Disease Management Guide

Plant diseases can be worrisome for gardeners trying to take care of their plants. Rust is a common fungal disease that can attack your garden and houseplants. It affects a variety of plants, including flowers, shrubs, and produce, and can weaken and damage infested plants. We’ve gathered information to help you control and prevent rust. 

Rust is a disease that is caused by fungi spores that are transferred via water and wind. There are several types of rust that will affect different plants. Moisture needs to be present for rust to develop. This disease can cause blisters and spots on plant leaves. Rings or brown spots will often start on the underside of leaves. As the disease progresses, spots will be visible on both sides of the leaves. Rust can weaken plants and can cause leaves to yellow or fall prematurely. This disease often develops in the summer when temperatures are warm and rainfall occurs. 

Inspect Plants Regularly: Checking your plants regularly can help you to catch rust early. This will make it easier to control the disease. You will also want to inspect plants before bringing them home from the store. Be sure to check the underside of leaves since this is where rust typically first appears.

Water Plants Carefully: Rust disease thrives in damp conditions. When watering your plants, you’ll want to avoid getting water on the tops of leaves. It’s best to water at the base of the plant to avoid water accumulation. This will help to prevent the conditions needed for rust to develop.

Set Your Plants Up for Success: Healthy plants are often less susceptible to diseases and pests. Ensuring your plants receive enough sunlight, water, and nutrients is important. Take the time to research your plants’ needs and plan accordingly.

Create Space Between Your Plants: Giving your plants room to breathe is important to help prevent rust disease. Good air circulation will help to keep things dry. When planting, make sure to space your plants apart. You can also prune your plants to help create more space.

Remove Infected Leaves: If you notice rust developing on your plant, you’ll want to take action. Carefully prune the infected leaves, being careful to not shake the leaves. This will help you to avoid spreading the fungus to nearby plants. Place the clippings in a sealed bag and dispose of the bag in a trash can. 

If rust disease has attacked your plants, you’ll want to treat them with a fungicide specifically labeled to treat rust. Maggie’s Farm offers two products that can help to prevent and control rust disease.

Plant-Based Insecticide Sprays

Our 3-in-1 Garden Spray and our Vegetable Garden Insect & Disease Control spray are labeled to prevent and control rust and other fungal diseases. Our 3-in-1 Garden Spray is formulated using plant oils as the active ingredients. It can be used on indoor and outdoor plants including flowers, houseplants, vegetables, shrubs, ornamental plants, herbs, and other edible plants. Our Vegetable Garden Insect & Disease Control spray is formulated using pyrethrins and sulfur. It can be applied to flowers, vegetables, fruit and nut trees, and ornamental trees or shrubs. It is labeled for use in home gardens, home greenhouses, and on indoor houseplants.

Application Tips

It’s important to avoid spraying in the heat of the day. Spraying early in the morning or in the evening will yield the best results. Apply as a protective spray early in the season before diseases are noticed. You’ll want to thoroughly spray all parts of the plants, especially the underside of leaves. When applying our 3-in-1 Garden Spray, allow the solution to run off the tips of the leaves. You can apply every 7–10 days and use the spray up to the day of harvest. When applying our Vegetable Garden Insect & Disease Control spray, don’t wet plants to the point of runoff or drip. Avoid using the product if temperatures are expected to be over 90° F. You can apply every 7–10 days and use up to the day before harvest.

We recommend test treating a small inconspicuous area of the plant first before applying to the entire plant

Keeping your plants healthy means taking steps to protect them from fungal diseases like rust. Implementing preventative measures and using the right products can help to keep this disease away.