As far as I know, Consan is not systemic, so I think that would keep it from being very effective against Puccinia malvacearum. I use the similar product, Physan 20, on my zinnias, primarily as an aid in sterilizing pots and trays. (Some hospitals use it in their mop water.) I also have used it as a drench for germinating seedlings, but its efficacy in that application is unproven. They say that the best defense is a good offense. Following that philosophy, I think we need a systemic fungicide that kills Puccinia malvacearum. There are a few systemic fungicides (I use Tebuconazole on my zinnias) and they have a lot of advantages over surface fungicides like sulfur. The systemics stay inside the plant and are not washed off by rain. Even a heavy dew can wash off some surface fungicides, like the potassium-bicarbonate-based GreenCure (which I still use from time to time, because it is so non-toxic). The systemics also protect new growth, which is completely unprotected by a previous surface sprayed product. The systemics do need to be re-applied on my rapidly growing zinnias, simply because their plant volume increases significantly, which dilutes the existing systemic. I usually reapply systemics on my crucial extra-choice breeder zinnias every two or three weeks to compensate for their continually increasing sap volume. My original tubular-petaled "mutant" zinnia got a biweekly application of Bayer All-In-One Rose & Flower Care throughout its extra-long lifetime, giving it at least double the lifetime of a "normal" zinnia. I don't know if there is a systemic effective against Puccinia malvacearum, but if I were growing hollyhocks, I would be looking for one. ZM

Hollyhocks just get rust........it is pretty much a hollyhock fact of life and there's not a lot you can do for it. You could try some fungicides early in the season before you see any signs of the problem (fungicides tend to be only preventatives, not curatives and must be applied before you notice symptoms) but I have not found any that really address rust - on any kind of plant - well. Hollyhock rust is restricted only to members of that family (Malvaceae) so no worries about it spreading ramapntly throughout the garden. And there are 'supposedly' rust-resistant forms: Alcea ficifolia and A. rugosa or Russian hollyhocks tend to be better with this issue than the common, garden variety. Rust generally does not kill plants but just disfigures them to various degrees. Removing the affected foliage and destroying is about the best you can do, although mulching around the base of the plants will help prevent fungal spores from splashing up and reinfecting.

Well thanks everyone for the reply. Charleney- I'm looking into Bayer disease control. Then I saw the Bayer 3 in 1 control and I thought that would be great for the rust and the weevils. But I'm a little concerned about the Bee Decolonization effect. So I'm still deciding on that. Docmom- my hollyhohcks are perennials. I started all of them from seed. The first year, the plant and foliage grows. Then it dies back in the fall and I cut everything down. The second year it blooms. I cut the stalks and they rebloom at least one more time, just fewer blooms on each rebloom. And then each year they keep coming back. That's why I love them. A lot of bang for your buck once they're established. And, this is my very first year with rust, so usually that's not a problem for me.

I have pretty good luck with spraying wettable sulfur on my hollyhocks. No rust so far this year. I spray every two weeks. You should try it and see if it helps. The leaf miners are eating my leaves though so, it's always something.