Garlic Rust

[Dorothy rouse]

Just spotted this morning, my garlic has rust, should I 'remove all the leaves and destroy? Or dig it up?

Is there anything I can do ? Am worried it will spread to onions, that are in same bed.

Thank you for any advice.

[Kirk]

No real specific answer.
There is no available fungicide for it, what was used seems to result in something worse then the original chemical. The original was/is not nice either.

Reading round the "old" Copper and Sulpher based fungicides are the best at this time.
Bordeaux Mix which is being withdrawn is one.
So maybe get a hold of some.

The fungus spores seem to need a contact fungicide not a systemic one. So that rules out whatever is generally available.

If you can get something and if you want to try/use it the best approach seems to be the remove the effected leaves then spray as whatever you try advises. Then see if the situation improves.

With the withdrawal of many of the previously available chemicals I suspect the situation will get worse until someone turns up a few varieties of resistant garlic.

[Martin H]

My garlic got rust last year, so I guess the crop was smaller than it would have been. Still OK, though.

I just checked today and the first signs are there this year too. Oh well, they will just have to try and fight it off themselves. I'll give them some extra feeding and watering.

[Greenleaves]

I have the first signs too, stripped off the worst leaves to limit damage, but no different to last year so fingers crossed.

[muddled]

I have rust too.

My own fault I think, I squeezed in some jap onion sets too close thinking they'd do as spring onions.....but failed to consider the effect of overcrowding on the garlic.

I read somewhere that potassium deficiency is linked to allium rust along with an excess of nitrogen.
So, I'm thinking I'll go up today,
whip out the overwintering onions to give more space;
remove and burn as much infected foliage on the garlic as poss;
and instead of putting my banana skins in the bean trench as normal, I'll stick them in the hole the onions came out of.....probably wishful thinking but you never know your luck

[Martin H]

I have garlic rust again this year, same as last year. The plants are well spaced and well fed so I don't think there are any special environmental factors, probably just spores in the air. I'm not really worried, the plants are pretty big now and I should still get a decent crop. I'll just pull off any leaves that have hardly any green left on them.

[muddled]

Does the rust affect the storing quality of the garlic do you know?

I have grown hardneck this year and it's so big and gorgeous looking I really want to keep half to grow next year if I can.

[Martin H]

Rust doesn't seem to affect storing, didn't for me last year anyway.

[muddled]

Well that's a relief!

Thanks Martin

[Lumpy]

Thank you for this thread - I've just been outside and had a look - no sign yet. I don't suppose it has anything to do with them (onions & garlic) crammed in together under the apple tree?

[thegavsie]

Noticed today that my garlic (allotment in London) has got the first signs of rust too. They are well spaced, and not overfed with nitrogen so seems it's just bad luck.

Will do as others as suggested, remove the worst affected leaves, and then hope it doesn't affect it too much. Shame as they were looking very healthy only last weekend!

[Dorothy rouse]

I cut off the affected leaves as suggested the other week, unfortunately it hasn't cured it and the remaining leaves are really bad now, and it has also spread to the neighbouring onions!

[astraman1]

ive had it on my garlic for a couple of months now its not affected the onions i have right next to it

[Valleyman]

Rust has officially set up shop on my garlic now. Plants don't look too healthy either. I think I stuck pots of potatoes too close and they're a bit too much in shade.

Ah well. Live and learn.

[Dorothy rouse]

Am wondering if I should dig it up? What do you think, bit early isn't it?