Hi Brian -- There are no fungicides that will rid foliage of rust, once it appears.
The only way to eliminate existing rust on foliage is to remove the foliage, package it up, and put it into the trash.

I really detest rust.
I divide roses into three Rust Categories:

1. Those which never rust here.
2. Those which are rust-resistant here most of the time, but which may have some rust on old leaves, in the Fall.
3. Those unfortunates which rust ALL of the time, without a stringent control program.

In our garden, roses which fall into Category 3 are removed.

Roses which fall into Category 2 don't bother me enough to warrant removal.
We remove the rusted leaves, and move on.

Roses which fall into Category 1 are our goal. We want more of those.

Jeri in Coastal Ventura County, SoCal

The Bayer 3-in-1 prevents rust, but it takes a while to kick in, several weeks at least. Spraying with Banner-Maxx or the Bayer spray is more effective, but you must deal with the safety precautions of fungicide spraying.

I've done what Jeri does, got rid of the ones that rust no matter what. The rainy-season-only rusters I can tolerate.

What Jeri said -- just strip the leaves and then spray the ground and unaffected leaves which are left and any nearby roses. And DO NOT compost anything with rust on it.

Once rust gets a foothold anywhere in the garden, it's tough to get rid of it. When you refer to Bayer 3 in 1 -- is that a spray or a soil drench? Soil Drenches do not work on rust, so I hope it was a spray. But even if a spray, you will need to keep spraying at least every 2 weeks to see any effect. And because of that, it's better to use a fungicide that is pure fungicide -- not a product designed to wipe out every living thing in the garden.

One thing you could try is lime sulpher, which is one of the cheaper fungicides. Lime sulpher works on rust in its dormant spray concentration, but also burns the h#!! out of the leaves in the sun. So the best way to use it is to spray it on on a cool not very sunny day and then 30 minutes later wash the whole plant down to get the lime sulpher off. But again, this is only after you have stripped the rusty leaves -- the point of this routine is to kill the remaining spores floating around.

Another thing that helps stop reinfection after you have taken care of one infestation is to keep several inches clear of foliage between the ground and the lowest leaf on the plant (or nearby plants). Rust travels up, so if it can't splash up to the lowest leaves, you are probably okay for awhile.

And then you just need to keep a close eye on the lower leaves and strip off any more that get rust before it has a chance to spread.

Kathy in San Juan Capistrano (land of mucho rust)

Many sprayers come with a spray wand that has a bent neck. This allows better underleaf spraying. A straight wand can be bent by using heat to soften the plastic. Care must be taken to make sure the heated portion doesn't kink. Gently bending it around a jar or other round form will keep it from kinking. Replacement spray wands that already have bent necks can be purchased at Tractor Supply. If replacing get a longer one that will eliminate having to bend over so much. I have a four foot copper wand with a bent neck I obtained at an ARS National Convention. It allows me to easily spray under the leaves.

Could you post a picture so I can see what rust looks like on roses?? I did a search but couldn't find a picture on any of the threads I read. I would just like to know what it looks like in case any of mine get it. Thanks, Judy

Judy, I don't have a photo (I'll try eventually to make one) but rusted leaves may initially show little more than a yellow tint on the top of the leaf.
On the underside of the leaf, however, you will see pustules of bright orange RUST. And it is, un-mistakeably, the vivid orange of rusted metal.

Jeri

Thanks Jeri, Thats a great discription so if you can't find a picture thats OK. BTW, your namesake loves it here. I ordered six that I put in this spring and they have grown HUGE! And the flower clusters of those little babies are soooo pretty. I planted them pretty close since they were so tiny when I received them but now i'm thinking I might need to move the middle one on each side since they have grown so much in just one season. Thanks, Judy

You know the orange stuff the coat cheese curls with? That's kinda what rust looks like.

Bookmark Baldo's site, it has a lot of photos of diseases and inseacts. Google.com is also a good way to find photos.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rust info at Baldo's Bug Page

Someone on here posted that it was a good idea to remove the mulch under a rusting plant, or at least lay a thick new layer of mulch down to keep the spores from ending up back on the plant.
But here's what I want to know - is rust saprophytic? That is, will it continue to thrive even when the host material dies, or not? I get the feeling that this stuff persists, and therefor all leaves that fall from rusty bushes need to be removed; is this true? I've been trying to avoid just stripping a couple of my roses, but maybe I need to just do that.

Thanks,
Lara

Thank you for all the help you guys!

I'm currently using the Bayer 3 in 1 systemic that you mix in with water, than water you roses with it. I'm also using the Safer brand spray, so maybe I should get a spray just for rust and other diseases. Thanks for that tip. I will also spray the ground, and take off the infected leaves. I have tried to take some off already, but I have hardly had anytime at all this week to be home when I can still see before dark. Hopefully it won't be too much of a problem and won't spread to anything else. I would post a picture of the rust for you, but I'm not really sure how yet, I will try.

Hoovb: I guess I should have listen to you after seeing your abe darby, I really wanted one and bought one, now mine has rust like yours! :)

My preferred method to get ride of rust is to walk over to the garden shed, pick up the shovel, and remove the offending rose. It works every time.

walk over to the garden shed, pick up the shovel, and remove the offending rose.

*** She's right.
That is the only foolproof way to get rid of rust.
As a bonus, it does not poison the soil, the water, or or beneficial insects.
(Or, for that matter, yourself.)

What you need is a list of roses that don't rust in Orange County, CA. They are legion.

Jeri

Since I live in a much colder, wetter zone, it is with great trepidation that I offer a suggestion that has worked for me. I prune the afflicted rose to the ground (winter often does that for me) and let it regenerate with completley new canes. This has worked on 3 different roses: Liebeszauber, Zephirine Drouhin, and Mister Lincoln.
Steve.