Thanks for your comments, Ed. I appeciate them. I'm unsure about being able to kill off the rust or not (in warm weather areas). Just about everything that I have read says that you only suppress it, yet my garden seems to have been clean (at least, no visible pustules) since that initial exposure, so I don't know what to make of it. (Not, mind you, that I have minutely scrutinized every leaf on every plant - though I do check the remaining previously very rusty plants periodically.) I "got it all in time"? (Sounds like cancer, lol - and doesn't explain why those non-dormant rusty plants haven't been rusty since.) Climate not conducive? (Which seems to be the case, but still...) Re dormants... you make a good point in that northern gardens don't necessarily have to worry about rust resistance (especially those hybridizing mainly for other northern gardens). I was just curious as to whether - in zones 8 and 9 - if one DID have a garden of all dormants, if they got infected, would the plants all come up clean next year (provided all the dead leaves were removed). I guess we may never know. Re hybridizing - only two generations to get a very resistant plant? Depending on how many genes control resistance, the genetics of the parent plants and how many F2 seedlings you grew out, I can see that happening. (Only takes four years minimum to get there, sigh - and that's IF your environment is such that you can reliably tell which seedlings are susceptible or not.) (DH asked me something to that point - why not cross the rusty purchased plant to a resistant plant, etc. etc. Well, there are a lot of excuses (er, reasons) as to why not, including not much sunny, deer-proof, unlandscaped space that I can use for seedlings. Since I have WAY more crosses that I want to make than I ever have the time/energy/space to grow out, and since I also don't want to perpetually be battling rust, it seemed the best thing to just toss the rust bucket(s).) Ed, do you mind if I ask how many F2 seedlings you had to grow out to get at least one resistant plant? I would guess at least 16 for tets - with no guarantee that you would get a very resistant plant because the probabilities hold for large populations, not necessarily for small ones (though you could get one to a few moderately resistant plants, depending on the genetics of the parents). (My reasoning is as follows... We don't know how many genes are involved, but for tets, making some very simplistic (and possibly incorrect) assumptions (only one gene determines resistance, an additive as opposed to dominant/recessive mechanism (what I gather seems to be the case?), the pod parent's extra DNA does not affect resistance, the resistant parent is rrrr and the susceptible parent is RRRR - so this assumes the best and worst case plants), I would guess you would get in the first generation F1 all rrRR (call that average resistance/susceptibility), and in the second generation F2: 1 rrrr very resistant F2 plant 4 rrrR equivalent moderately resistant plants 6 rrRR equivalent average resistance/susceptibility plants 4 rRRR equivalent moderately susceptible plants 1 RRRR very susceptible plants If the resistant parent is rrrR and/or the susceptible parent is RRRr then the picture gets more complicated.) I wish there was more information available in one location as to resistant cultivars. (Yes, I have been reading daylilyrust.org, forums, and hybridizer's comments.) I have gathered some of the reputedly resistant plants together, but for other plants (with traits that I want) it is hard to tell. (If anyone can tell me one way or the other re resistance on WHITE MOUNTAIN or ARCTIC LACE I would appreciate it!)

I can only tell you what I do, so don't take it as being a definative answer. I have had a rust problem amd bit the bullet (or maybe its I took a bullet in $$$) based on the recommendations of a commercial operation in southheast North Carolina (since I spent a few hours with them a couple of years ago). I've since been told that the same fungicides work for leaf streak. However, Mancozeb is not so terribly expensive and is a contact killer for the rust spores, so it should kill-on-contact for leaf streak fungus too. This was not among the original recommendations, however. Those were to alternate between two different strobulines (the ones that are made out of gold or something equally expensive), Compass and Strike. I was later told by a very knowledgeable lady in Canada that you should not atlernate between two of these chemicals because resistance can be acquired, and once it is acquired, it will block all strobulins. So this year's plan is to rotate three - Mancozeb, Strike, and Compass. For me (and a University of Gerogia study agreed!!) one of the two strobulins really does not control rust very well while the other is much better, so I might eliminate the poorer one. I just can't remember which one it is at the minute. Note that there are everal different types of strobulins, but the one in Heritage was the most effective in the UGA study. I've attached the link to their PowerPoint presentation. Go through it until you find their conclusions and recommendations. Their recommendation is to use one of the sort-of systemic ones that works and alternate that with Mancozeb. That should take care of the leaf streak and any runs that gets blow in by the wind. For rust, you have to continue this all season if you don't it to show up once the weather breaks - - for us that is mid-to-late September I am assuming that since this works for rust, it will work for leaf streak funguds too. Larry Here is a link that might be useful: Pathway to UGA Rust Study

Hi Thera, I don't know of any varieties that are more resistant to leaf rust than others. My early varieties have usually finished it's main crop before rust sets in so I don't have much of a problem with decrease yield with those trees. I have noticed that the trees that have something else bothering them (i.e. RKN, borers, or some other sort of infestation) are more susceptible to rust than otherwise healthy trees. The typical treatment for rust is to remove the affected leaves as soon as possible and spray with a Bordeaux mixture or a copper fungicide. Repeating the process once a week for three weeks. However, from what I understand about the "rainy season" (compounded with the humidity) in Thailand, this treatment may not be enough to fully treat rust. The Mediterranean climate is much more arid than what some of us are growing our trees in. Prevention, maybe if you could provide some sort of umbrella for your trees, but probably not even then. ~james

Something new ( to plague our favorite flower!) this year is leaf miners. Although I'd seen leaf miners on columbines,2009 was the first year that leaf miners seem to be on daylilies. Your description sounds like leaf miners. If you have ever seen them on columbine foliage, it looks about the same on daylily foliage. I saw it at some Regional tour gardens this summer and have seen some of it here. Best treatment is a systemic insecticide. I have used the Bayer Systemic rose 2 in 1 where I've seen it here.