Mint Rust

Yes, it appears that your mint has rust. This is a fungal problem and there are many who recommend ripping out all infected plants and replanting mint in another part of the yard far away, or planting in containers as an annual crop from now on. Others say to burn the patch to kill rust spores, but for many people this isn’t practical because mint patches are often close to the house or in raised beds, and you don’t want to start a fire in either of these places! Our recommendation is that you grow some mints in containers, but that you also try treating this bed with one of the newer biological fungicides that are bacteria based. These products are acceptable for organic gardening and edible crops where most fungicides are not. Two examples are Actinovate and Serenade. You would first cut down the mint that’s there, and dispose of the infected plants but not in the compost. Burn them or put them in the garbage. Next mix the product according to directions and drench the soil all around the mint area and just a bit beyond. Finally, begin spraying with the product according to directions regularly as the plants begin to grow. Only water in the morning, and only water once a week.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:26-07:00 January 25th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments

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