more info in rust and jacks-in-the-pulpit
- To: s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
- Subject: more info in rust and jacks-in-the-pulpit
- From: K* C*
- Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 10:15:32 -0500
With the advice of both the local Master Gardeners program and the
folks on this list, I've learned a few things about rust and my
jacks-in-the-pulpit.
Rust is a fungus that lives in the soil. It overwinters in the soil.
Tidy gardening practices will keep it in check. These include: not
mulching until the soil has warmed up (waiting until at least 15 June
here in zone 4a) if you are going to mulch at all, cleaning up garedn
debris around the jacks, keeping lots of air space around the jacks.
Infected plants need to be destroyed immediately, because rust is not
just unsightly, it will kill the plants. Signs of infection are:
orange dots on the bottoms of leaves (these are an immediate
concern), mottled leaves, misshapen leaves. Cut them off at ground
level, and put them in a plastic bag right away. Throw them in the
trash, not the compost heap. Clean your cutting tool right away. (I
use a little rubbing alcohol.)
Rust is not carried on the seeds. You can possibly plant jack seeds
in rust-free ground and get a crop of healthy plants. Identifying
"rust-free ground" is of course the tricky part.
The tidy garden that does best at keeping this rust in check is
anathema to the natural woodsy garden I want, but so be it.
Karen. [did I miss any important info?]
