This hollyhock rust caused by the fungus Puccinia malvacearum can result in serious injury to hollyhocks (AIthaea spp.) and is found nearly everywhere they are grown. Last fall about late October, I flamed my hollyhock plants and the immediate area surrounding. The plants are now about six inchs high and there is absolutely no sign of the rust. This observation may be premature, but it is encouraging, since the rust devastated my hollyhocks last year. I tried fungicides to no avail. Here is the device I used: http://Flamehoc.notlong.com http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/hollyhockrust/hollyhockrust.htm Details about the: Hollyhock rust caused by the fungus Puccinia malvacearum. http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html
http://ukeep.notlong.com 27 June 2007 Pictures of a few of my hollyhocks with no rust (Puccinia malvacearum) present. The area was flamed in the fall and I contribute the absence of rust to this practice. Over the last three years by this time in the season the hollyhocks were severely infected with rust. The flaming does not kill the plants. I have about 12 plants in the same area (not in bloom yet), and no rust is present on any them. Everytime I go past an Hollyhock plant rust is expected. What a relief to see it is not present. Further evidence that the flaming is responsible for the lack of rust is: 27 June 2007. There was one hollyhock plant about 75 feet from the main patch, growing out of the edge of the compost pile. This plant had rust infestation. I immediately pulled the plant, and flamed all residue plus sanitized the area with the flame. Here is the device I used: http://Flamehoc.notlong.com Maybe this is an effective treatment? http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html
