What can be done about rust on hybrid tea roses?
You can use Baking Soda/Powder as a preventative, though this is trickier on plants that are heavily infested. Overall, destroy any leaves that fall off your plants, as these will allow the spores to continue over winter time, and re-infect your plants next summer. If you choose an anti-fungal chemical, choose a treatment that is systemic, meaning that it spreads through the whole ‘system’ of the plant – leaves, stems, roots, flowers etc, and is ready to attack any recurring fungal – rust or other – attack. I don’t know the current products in Australia, so I’d firstly look for a systemic fungicide, comparing how long the treatment is active for, and then match the best of these to your budget. Early treatment in spring time is recommended, as a preventative measure, before the rust really takes hold. (And removing/destroying) any fallen leaves from the previous autumn. As baking powder is cheap, I’d also spray in spring time, to ward it off, as it won’t leave any nasty chemicals aroun
