Garlic rust?

Organicgrowingpains · Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 11:08 pm Post subject: Garlic rust?

We planted garlic last Sept, it was growing Ok and looked good up to quite recently.We were worried about it over the last few weeks thinking maybe it was the wet unseasonal weather.The outer leaves had turned yellow and the other leaves are not a very healthy green colour. I was reading one of the blogs on my blog list yesterday and he mentioned garlic rust and the symptoms seem to mirror ours. Rolling Eyes

On closer inspection today the leaves are not just uniformly yellow but have definite rust spots on them. I pulled one of them and it looks like a large spring onion that smells of garlic. There is no sign of it developing into a cluster of bulbs, although I don't know when this happens in the life of the bulb anyway. Sad

Any ideas of what it is or if there is a cure or should we pull the lot up and discard them? Sad

We had white turnips growing in this bed last year and added no fresh manure before sowing the garlic. Confused

I have tried uploading 3 photos but nothing is showing? Photos on blog
http://organicgrowingpains.blogspot.com

Exclamation

Mod edit: Images added.

Liparis · Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 10:28 am Post subject:

it's difficult to advise without a visual. Have you checked the roots and base of bulb for damage as well, such as onion fly etc?
Bill.

Garlicbreath · Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 1:34 pm Post subject:

I just had a look at the photos on your blog organicgrowingpains and it looks like garlic rust alright. I got it on some of my garlic last year but it was later in the season so when it got bad I lifted the bulbs. They were a bit small but otherwise OK.

Found this in garlicworld.co.uk "Rust infection is promoted by low light and high moisture levels so avoid shade and maintain close attention to watering. Infected plants should be treated immediately either by removal & burning or by spraying with an appropriate fungicide." My garlic is in a raised bed with sandy topsoil so perhaps really good drainage is the secret!

On the subject of the development of bulbs. I was wondering about this last year too so went on an info hunt. Seemingly it's the lengthening days that trigger the formation of cloves and it isn't until a certain light level is attained that the bulbs start swelling. Up to finding that out I kept digging up the odd plant to check on progress and was very worried by the lack of it!

Off out to check on this years crop now just in case!

James Kilkelly · Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 2:42 pm Post subject:

Organicgrowingpains, I pulled the images from your site and added them for help with problem.
Hope you don't mind.

Organicgrowingpains · Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 6:52 pm Post subject:

Hi GPI, don't mind at all thanks, it makes it easier to have photos and text together.
Garlicbreath what is an appropriate fungicide?It would have to be organic.
Liparis, the one I pulled up had a good root system and the bulb looked clean and undamaged.
Thanks for the advice if anyone can think of anything else to treat the problem we would appreciate it.

Liparis · Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 7:29 pm Post subject:

Oh dear! I'm always the optomist, but I'm afraid it is rust, isn't it?
I don't know what cure would be organic, perhaps some else does?
Bill.

Garlicbreath · Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 9:56 am Post subject:

Try this link for recipes for homemade organic fungicide based on bicarb of soda (is there any limit to its usefulness!) http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1484689.htm

This link goes to an organic product http://www.planetnatural.com/site/fungicide.html It says the active ingredient is rosemary oil so that may be worth trying. Let us know how you get on if you try any of these.

I did notice last year that rust seems to spread very quickly to adjacent plants so it might be wise to remove the worst affected.

Organicgrowingpains · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 11:34 am Post subject:

Hi everyone and thanks for the advice. Garlicbreath, I went to the first site you provided a link to and found the organic spray. One of my blogging friends (also in Australia!) who I knew had been doing garlic trials also gave advice so I combined the two as I wanted to stay as organic as possible. I cut back all leaves with any sign of rust which I found works its way down the leaf, I binned them instead of adding them to the compost heap.I gave the ground a feed of sulphur of potash to harden up the bulbs,covered it with a mulch of hay to stop any rust spores from going down to the bulbs and finally used the bread soda spray!
It is a case of wait and see now, I would think I could use the spray again if there is any sign of it returning, even if it does not come back I am not sure if the bulb will develop into cloves so it is academic from here on! I have done a post about it on the blog with links back to the thread on this site as I am sure I am not the only one with this problem.
GPI: still having problems uploading a photo?!Even though it shows the file in the box it disappears when I click submit!

James Kilkelly · Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 2:00 pm Post subject:

Organicgrowingpains · Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 12:56 pm Post subject:

Hi GPI ,I checked and my photo size is 124KB , I resized anyway and still no joy, the file name appears but on clicking add attachment nothing happens?!

James Kilkelly · Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 2:14 pm Post subject:

michael brenock · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject:

garlic rust was more than likely brought in with the bulbs and very hard to eradicate.
Plant clean healthy stock. practice good rotation, garlic is same family as onions leeks and chives, good drainage is vital and so is good ventilation. Bulbing is influenced by the number of leaves developed before the days begin to get shorter, the more and bigger the leaves by mid summer the better.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

Organicgrowingpains · Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:09 pm Post subject:

Thanks Micheal, they are in a raised bed but the wet winter probably has not helped. I bought the bulbs from a garden centre they were a well known brand so I thought quite safe and healthy! I will leave them in for another while and see if treating them has helped.

niamh_h · Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:12 am Post subject:

Is this rust in my garlics?

Which of the above methods is the best given the state of my garlics please?

Thanks in advance!!

michael brenock · Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 6:03 pm Post subject:

I was oing to respond but I thought that I had answered Garlic Rust before and sure enough there it was . I would add one further point always tidy up any damaged leaves of garlic or onions and while they can be put in the compost heap rusts are highly dependent on cool moist weather to develop and spread. I have no confidence in sprays for this problem.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)