Fruit Tree Spraying Guide - Tui Garden

Hi, what is the best product to use for rust. Every year without fail it gets my iris, gladioli and garlic. Help.

Linda Gigger

• Hi Linda, rust is a hard fungus to control once it take hold and spreads easily. Remove infected leaves from the plant, clear up fallen leaves around plants and destroy as the fungal spores will sit in the soil until conditions are favourable. Rust enjoys wet, moist conditions and so try to avoid overhead watering (hard to do with all of this rain) or splashing water on the leaves when watering, also improve air circulation around your plants as prevention is the best form of defense against rust. Some plants are more susceptible than others, so planting rust free varieties will also help. There are sprays that can be effective as a preventative such as copper based sprays, flowers of sulphur may also help if you lift your bulbs in autumn, dust them with flowers of sulphur which is a natural fungicide. If you need to spray, then talk to your local garden centre or DIY store for a suitable control, there are natural options available suitable for edible crops such as garlic. Make sure your soil is well nourished with organic matter such as compost, straw, rotted lawn clippings, sheep manure pellets to name a few. Apply a balanced fertiliser, look for one that is enriched with calcium and magnesium for healthy bulbs, Tui Vegetable Food or Tui Bulb Food is suitable, apply every 4-6 weeks in the growing season. By keeping your plants well fed and actively growing, and your soil replenished with organic matter, you are helping to boost plants resistance to pest and disease. Tui Seaweed Plant Tonic is also helpful in keeping plants actively growing and helps reduce plants susceptibility to pests and disease.

  Lianne, Tui Team

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