Hmm, worse than a drummer next door? Someone I know had a bagpipe player next door. Now I happen to like bagpipe music but it's not everyone's cup of tea. And even I would not like to hear it next door in a close-built neighborhood. My own experience is that rust is a problem that is worse in spring and fall. In the midst of summer only susceptible roses seem to suffer from it. I do remember though that on the El Niño year about 10-12 years ago, all the roses had it, pretty much all summer long. It may just be that you are experiencing a local pocket of rust-inducing conditions this year. Someone twenty miles away may not have the same things going on that you are. Rosefolly

Plumeria rust (Coleosporium plumeriae) is quite common. Have you now done your research so that you know how to prevent this disease, mitigate it, and (if necessary) treat it?

Hi caitsgrden: I took microbiology, organic chemistry, and biochemistry in college .. What works in SPOILED MILK is http://www.ask.com/food/kind-bacteria-spoiled-milk-cf458e38215ddef3 "Paenibacillus is the spore-forming bacterium that is found in spoiled milk. It is responsible for spoiling milk and causes curdling as well. Paenibacillus also contributes to off flavors in a variety of other foods." From Straw: that particular bacteria in spoiled milk COMPETES against the fungi that cause rust. The bacteria in sour milk is DIFFERENT from the bacteria in spoiled milk (used for spraying rust). The bacteria in sour milk is from CULTIVATED STRAND, such as "BUTTERMILK is the fermentation of milk by a culture lactic acid-producing Streptococcus lactis plus Leuconostoc citrovorum which converts lactic acid to aldehydes and ketones which gives it its flavor and aroma. " Thus the sourness is NOT part of the treatment, but rather how effective the bacteria in spoiled milk in fighting against rust-fungi. I really don't like to spray any wet solution, since it only encourages fungi growth. Rust, like most fungi, needs water to germinate and grow. The most effective method, documented is to INCREASE THE SURFACE pH, such as scatter a THIN-LAYER on wood-ash on the ground, or dusting with wood-ash (pH over 11). However, there's danger of wood-ash burning one's eyes, so the milk-solution is safer method. Fungi DOES NOT like it dry, and DOES NOT like high pH, or very low pH like vinegar (pH 2 to 3) or corn meal (pH 4). Fungi like rust likes it WET and neutral to slightly acidic. Jim is right, whole milk is more effective since the fatty acids nourish the bacteria which multiply when the milk is spoiled. Fat-free milk might not work as well.

Hi Bluegirl: You are right about "the professor told us that iron oxide is unavailable to cows." I already tested iron sulfate on my rhododendrons ... didn't green up, but leaves turned brown, and the plants died. Iron sulfate burns root fast, it's very acidic, but plants can't use that. Chelated iron is in a form that plants can use. That's why I use Wholesome Organics molasses with 20% chelated iron, 20% potassium, and 17% calcium ... that greened up Excellenz von Schubert rose immediately. That rose is known for chlorosis and prefers acidic soil. People make the wrong assumption that lime added to tap water provides calcium to plants. They don't realize that form of lime, calcium oxide, is unstable, and binds with iron, phosphorus, and potassium ... making plants yellowish. See below from Wikipedia: "Calcium oxide is made by the thermal decomposition of materials such as limestone. This is accomplished by heating the material to above 825 °C (1,517 °F),[5] a process called calcination or lime-burning, to liberate a molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2); leaving quicklime. The quicklime is not stable and, when cooled ... after enough time, it will be completely converted back to calcium carbonate .... Calcium oxide is a key ingredient for the process of making cement." Calcium hydroxide is calcium oxide mixed with water. It's used in fresh water treatment for raising the pH of the water so pipes won't corrode. My tap water in my last house was neutral ... roses bloomed OK when watered with tap. But my tap water in my current house, alkaline soil, is hard-well water, pH 8. The soil where I watered with tap turned concrete, compare to the soil where it's just rain water. The practice of adding calcium hydroxide to water to prevent pipes from being rusty, is what glue up clay soil further, and raise the pH. Thus I get less flowering when watered with my tap (pH 8), versus rain water (pH 5.6). I put rock-hard limestone clay under drain-spout where rain water pours ... they become fluffy fine particles. Rain water (pH 5.6) through time can convert limestone into gypsum ... I already double- checked with the chemist in the Soil Forum. Gypsum occurs naturally and also is made by reacting sulfuric acid with calcium carbonate. Too much gypsum can hurt. Here's an excerpt from link below: "From intensive field observations of gypsiferous soils in Iraq, Smith and Robertson (1962) found that root growth was inhibited where the gypsum content of soil was over 10 percent." "Van Alphen and de los Rios Romero (1971) conclude that up to 2 percent gypsum in the soil favours plant growth, between 2 and 25 percent has little or no adverse effect if in powdery form, but more than 25 percent can cause substantial reduction in yields. They suggest that reductions are due in part to imbalanced ion ratios, particularly K:Ca and Mg:Ca ratios" K stand for potassium, Ca stand for calcium, and Mg stand for magnesium. That's why I use gypsum (17% sulfur and 22% calcium) to break up hard clay at the bottom of the planting hole .... and use sulfate of potash (23% sulfur and 20% potassium) to neutralize my pH 8 tap water. My pH 7.7 clay soil is tested exceedingly high in magnesium, Mg is what makes clay sticky. Calcium and potassium together help with best bloom formation. Below is a bouquet of roses: Radio Times (pink), Crown Princess Magareta (orange), and Paul Neyron (dark pink). They are fertilized with gypsum and sulfate of potash. Here is a link that might be useful: Effects of gypsum and calcium carbonate on plants This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Thu, Oct 31, 13 at 11:55