zonal geranium spotting leaves-4 pics

19 years ago

Last year and again this year I have had great success with overwintering geraniums, my first tries. So I bought two large pots of fantasia White Zonal Geraniums and a salmon color at the grocery store on their flower close out.

Salmon color and all hold overs, and new 07' small pots are doing fine. The two white pots has brown spots on top of leaves and then underneath there are brown spots. Leaves turn yellow and dry up. Plants are blooming OK, new growth coming on.

This AM I cut off all spotted leaves, sprayed with a combination of 1 qt. water, tsp of lemon soap, tsp alcohol. Is this right or wrong? I feel I had nothing to

lose as the pots were not looking good.

What is wrong with these two pots? A bug, disease, or am I watering to much? Following are pics of top and bottom of leaves. I will appreciate any input. thanks in advance.

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Comments (5)

tinama
19 years ago
It looks like it maybe rust, but I'm not sure.
marmari
19 years ago
YES you were right this is called "leave rust" easily cured. Apply fungicides as soil drenches.
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schmoe
19 years ago
A fungicide drench will certainly help, but in most cases will not eliminate rust. On the backs of the leaves, the areas are raised and fuzzy in texture as well as rust colored. This is because rust is spread by spores and that is where they are. The most important step in eliminating rust is to rogue out the infected/leaves or plants, so that the spores are not present and able to infect further.
HU-418340693
3 years ago
I know this was 15 years ago but did you ever figure out what this was? Were you able to treat it? I think it is Geranium oedma (also spelled edema). Did the fungicide work?
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 years ago
The problem was correctly ID'd as Pelargoniun (geranium) rust, Puccinia pelargonii-zonalis . It is very treatable with fungicides but destroying heavily infected plants and removing all foliage showing signs of the disease are important as well.