Fuchsia Rust....Grrrrr

[Ger-annie-um]

Help

I've just gone out to my hanging baskets in the hope of taking some fuchsia cuttings for next year. Every single one of the blessed plants has fuchsia rust. Question is can they be saved, can I take cuttings safely or should I throw my hands up in the air, throw the fuchsias out and resign myself to buying new plants for the baskets next year.

Sorry, more than one question I know but I would need to buy about 50 new plants (lots of baskets) and that's not a cost I'm looking forward to.

[bramble]

How bad is the rust.. i havevtakrn a lot if cuttings from my fuschias and they were not that ealthy looking but they seem to be looking good.
Dont give up.

[Ger-annie-um]

It's really bad on some - to the extent I couldn't find anything I could turn into a cutting without keeping some rust. On others, Charlie Dymock seems a little less affected. not as bad. If I take cuttings will I just be hanging on to the disease for next year or will cuttings come good.

[WendyC]

Is rust a fungal disease? If do is there a fungicide you could try on them? Otherwise I think you will unfortunately, be storing up trouble for next year. Could you go round to friends and neighbours and beg a few cuttings, reducing the need for so many new ones next year. Never had rust here so happy to post you some cuttings if you have particular ones you want. Send me a PM.

[Martin H]

I would take the cuttings. Choose shoots that are not too badly affected, immerse each cutting in a jamjar of fungicide solution before pushing them into the rooting medium. This will give you a good chance of starting next year with some clean plants. Good luck!

[Ger-annie-um]

Is rust a fungal disease? If do is there a fungicide you could try on them? Otherwise I think you will unfortunately, be storing up trouble for next year. Could you go round to friends and neighbours and beg a few cuttings, reducing the need for so many new ones next year. Never had rust here so happy to post you some cuttings if you have particular ones you want. Send me a PM.

Wendy
Thank you so much, I don't have any particular wants, just some appropriate for hanging baskets. I'll pm you............if I remember how!

[Ger-annie-um]

I would take the cuttings. Choose shoots that are not too badly affected, immerse each cutting in a jamjar of fungicide solution before pushing them into the rooting medium. This will give you a good chance of starting next year with some clean plants. Good luck!

What would be the fungicide solution to use..........someone told me to spray with listerine mouthwash - really?!!

[Martin H]

What would be the fungicide solution to use..........someone told me to spray with listerine mouthwash - really?!!

Personally I would use Fisons tumbleblite. It is systemic so it has a temporary preventative against re-infection. I've not tried it with Fuchsias but use it on Chrysanthemum and Dahlia cuttings. I just mix up a spray-strength solution in a jamjar.

I would worry about the sugar and alcohol in lysterine so would avoid it.