The rusts are a group of fungal diseases affecting the aerial parts of plants. Leaves are affected most commonly, but rust can also be found occasionally on stems and even flowers and fruit.

The spore pustules produced by rusts vary in colour, according to the rust species and the type of spore that it is producing. Some rusts have complex life-cycles, involving two different host plants and up to five types of spore.

As well as this general introduction to rust diseases, we also have advice profiles on the rusts affecting many different plants (just click on the link to be taken to the relevant profile): Allium species, antirrhinum, box, broad bean, chrysanthemum, fuchsia, heuchera, hollyhock, iris, lawns, mint, pear, pelargonium, raspberry, rose, runner and French beans, trees.

Take a look at the photo gallery below for pictures of symptoms on different host plants.

You may see the following symptoms:

• Pale leaf spots eventually develop into spore-producing structures called pustules
• The pustules are found most commonly on the lower leaf surface and produce huge numbers of microscopic spores
• Pustules can be orange, yellow, brown, black or white. Some are a rusty brown colour, giving the disease its common name
• In some cases there may be dozens of pustules on a single leaf
• Severely affected leaves often turn yellow and fall prematurely
• Pustules also sometimes form on leaf stalks (petioles), stems and, rarely, on flowers and fruit
• Heavy infection often reduces the vigour of the plant. In extreme cases (e.g. with antirrhinum rust) the plant can be killed

The RHS believes that avoiding pests, diseases and weeds by good practice in cultivation methods,

Gardeners often use the word variety when referring to a specific plant, but the correct botanical term is 'cultivar'. Whichever word you use, it means a distinctive plant or plants, given a specific cultivar name and usually bred to enhance certain characteristics, such as flower or fruit size, colour, flavour or fragrance, plant size, hardiness, disease resistance, etc. Additionally, it is worth knowing that, botanically, variety has another meaning - it refers to a naturally-occurring distinct plant that only has slight differences in its looks. For example, Malva alcea var. fastigiata differs from typical plants by having an upright habit.

Regular cleaning and tidying not only keeps a garden looking neat, but can reduce pests and diseases too. Beneficial jobs include collecting fallen leaves, promptly removing diseased growth and debris, cleaning tools, and weeding. Still, too much tidying can discourage wildlife, so it’s a fine balance.

garden hygiene

Non-chemical control

Detailed recommendations are given in the profiles available for rust diseases of individual plants and crops - see the links in the 'Biology' section, below. General recommendations are as follows:

• The development of the disease can sometimes be slowed by picking off affected leaves as soon as they are seen, provided that this involves just a small number of leaves. Removing leaves in large numbers is likely to do more harm than good
• Provide conditions that encourage strong growth, but avoid an excess of nitrogen fertiliser as this results in soft, lush growth that is easily colonised by rust
• The leaves of plants affected by rust could be composted in spring and early summer, as the spores produced then are generally short-lived and should be killed by home
  Composting is the process by which plant material is heaped together to rot (decompose) to produce compost. Garden or kitchen waste can be broken down over time in a compost bin or heap to produce crumbly organic matter that can be used as a mulch, soil conditioner and a constituent of potting compost.

  composting systems (particularly if the material is left long enough so that it is fully degraded). In late summer and autumn some rusts (usually those affecting
  Deciduous refers to plants (mainly trees and shrubs) that lose their leaves seasonally, usually during autumn. This is a natural process triggered by the season's shorter days and lower temperatures and allows plants to conserve energy during the winter months.

  deciduous plants) produce overwintering spores. These spores are often very resilient, so at this time it would be better to dispose of affected material by other means
• Resistant cultivars are available for some plants and crops, but this resistance is occasionally overcome by
  Genes are small sections of DNA that code for particular traits. During sexual reproduction, genes of both parents are mixed to create a genetically different offspring. Plants grown from seed may not be 'true to type' and look like their parents, but genetic variation can be beneficial, creating new, interesting characteristics and sometimes improving resilience to environmental conditions or disease. On the other hand, plants grown from cuttings are genetically identical to their parents.

  genetic changes within the rust fungus
• In some cases no control is required. For example, many rusts of trees develop too late in the summer to have a significant effect on  vigour, even though the whole tree may appear yellow or orange in late summer due to the huge number of rust pustules on the leaves

Fungicides

The RHS recommends that you don't use fungicides. Fungicides (including organic types) may reduce biodiversity, impact soil health and have wider adverse environmental effects. If you do intend to use a fungicide, please read the information given in the link and download below to ensure that use, storage and disposal of the product is done in a responsible and legally compliant manner.
  
The products listed in the ‘Fungicides for gardeners’ document below are legally available for use by home gardeners in the UK. This information is provided to avoid misuse of legal products and the use of unauthorised and untested products, which potentially has more serious consequences for the environment and wildlife than when products are used legally. Homemade products are not recommended as they are unregulated and usually untested.

No fungicides are currently available to home gardeners with good activity against rust diseases of edible crops.

Download

Fungicides for gardeners (Adobe Acrobat pdf document outlining fungicides available to gardeners)

Link

Chemicals: storing and disposing safely

Most of the RHS Gardening Advice enquiries regarding rust occur on the following hosts: allium species, antirrhinum,  bluebell, box, chrysanthemum, fuchsia, heuchera, hollyhock, hypericum, lawn grasses, mahonia, pear,  pelargonium, poplar, rose and vinca.

Rust fungi have very limited host ranges. For example, the rust that attacks antirrhinum is a different species from that affecting hollyhock. By late summer there may be many different rust species present on various plants in the garden.

Infection is favoured by prolonged leaf wetness, so rusts are usually diseases of wet summers.

Some rusts spend their entire life on one plant and produce just one or two types of spore. Others need two, often completely unrelated plants in order to complete their life-cycle, and can produce up to five different spore types. European pear rust, for example, spends part of its life on juniper.

The colour of the rust pustules varies according to the rust species and the type of spore that it is producing. Rose rust, for example, produces orange pustules for much of the summer, but in late summer and autumn these are replaced by black pustules containing overwintering spores.