Fighting Fungus: How To Fend Off Cedar-apple Rust | Edmonton Journal

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Q: I’m hoping you can help me. My husband usually takes care of the yard work, but he’s a firefighter and just left for Fort McMurray. He beautifully shaped and pruned our three juniper trees about a month ago, and this fungus-type flower recently blossomed. I know that he’s going to come home exhausted so I want to take care of this for him, if I can. What treatment do you recommend, and do we need to be worried about our other trees and bushes? I’ve attached a photo, and any suggestions you have would be sincerely appreciated.

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A: First, thank you to your husband for his service. The brave men and women firefighters are truly appreciated. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and the people of Fort McMurray. 

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The problem you are describing is cedar-apple rust — a fungus. On evergreen hosts (like junipers) you will see the formation of balls that look like brown apples. When mature, they send out these bizarre-looking, gelatinous orange fingers. On deciduous hosts such as hawthorn and apple, the leaves will begin to show yellow spots. Over time these spots will turn orange and eventually develop into black spots. By mid-summer you can see tiny tubes forming on the undersurface of the leaves. 

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Once infected, there is no treatment for the current season. Pruning out the growth is the most effective way to reduce infection. Make sure to disinfect your pruners between cuts, using a solution of one litre of water and two tablespoons of bleach. No chemical treatment is completely effective, but application of a fungicide may help in reducing the problem.

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I know that there used to be several fungicides on the market for treating the problem, but those have been removed from sale. As I did more research, I kept finding that many experts are recommending the use of sulphur as a means of treating cedar-hawthorn and cedar-apple rusts. Your local garden centre will carry a garden sulphur spray. Start spraying in the spring, when the buds begin to form and swell, and then again after the buds open, and once more about 10 days after they open. You can also try using a copper spray as both a preventative and control. Most major garden centres will also carry a commercially prepared copper spray. 

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Cedar-apple rust will affect some members of the rose family, such as hawthorns, apples and Saskatoons, but should not affect rose bushes.

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Q: I have read your column faithfully for years. We grow lots of kale, but the last few years the aphids are terrible. After picking the leaves, we take the aphids off with hot/warm water before getting the leaves ready for the winter. What can we do to eliminate the problem?

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A: Thank you for being a faithful reader. Washing off the aphids is a good idea, but I know you are looking for a somewhat easier method. There are chemicals that can be used to control the problem, although I hesitate to advise using them since this is a food crop. My best advice would be to use an insecticidal soap, but you will need to apply it faithfully for several applications because the aphids will keep on hatching. One application will not be enough. You may need as many as four or five applications.

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It’s easy to make your own insecticidal soap solution using pure soap, not liquid dish detergent. Pure soap can be found in health food stores — castile soap is an example. Mix one tablespoon of soap to one gallon of water and spray the solution directly on the aphids. The solution will kill on contact, but must reach the aphids in order to work. Keep an eye out for further hatchings and wash the kale very well before consuming. 

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I cannot stress enough how important it is to watch out for hatchings and spray regularly. Most gardeners give up after the first two applications, and it is actually easy to control aphids if you have patience. For me, patience is a far better route to go than using chemicals. 

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Gerald Filipski is a member of the Garden Writers Association of America. E-mail your questions to [email protected] He is the author of Just Ask Jerry. To read previous columns, go to edmontonjournal.com/filipski

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