Kathy, I don't think the spraying is making VICTORIAN LACE weak - it is the constant cutting it back. This is one of the best daylilies around! It finished at the top of the Award of Merit list in 2008. Have you tried just spraying beginning early in the season and not cutting back the foliage? I'd hate to see you get rid of such a good daylily. It is extremely vigorous and a great performer in this zone, as are most on your list.

I grow 'JT Davis' and consider it to be rust resistant. It gets very few pustules during an outbreak. I also grow 'Victorian Lace'. It has average rust susceptibility and needs to be sprayed to perform. It also benefits from remaking its bed every year or two. 'Victorian Lace' is too pretty a flower to throw away. Before you do, email me and we can try to make a trade.
Ed

floota, I have tried spraying VL early in the season. But I want to add that I do not use the expensive fungicides. And I do not spray weekly. So, VL is very rusty by the time it blooms. All of the seedlings I have produced out of VL are also rusty. Obviously, I wouldn't agree that it is one of the "best" daylilies around. But I do think it has a very pretty bloom, which is why I've kept it this long. I do not plan to ever use it again in my hybridizing program. Maybe...just maybe, this will improve its' performance. I will keep my fingers crossed.

Ed, thanks for the info about JT Davis. I will probably buy it next Fall. If I decide to get rid of VL, I will email you a photo of the leaves. If you decide if you want it, after you see it, you will be welcome to it. Do you remember me asking you about a daylily named INDY AWESOME STUFF? It was described by the hybridizer (Anderson) as "naturally resistant to rust". I decided to get it this year. So far, no rust...but I haven't seen it bloom yet. I'll let you know how it does next year.

Kathy

I do remember discussing INDY AWESOME STUFF Kathy.

After hurricane Ike came through here, lots of things got rusty that weren't normally rusty. I think it must have been all the spores being blown around at 100 mph. Anyway, I was disappointed to see MISTER LUCKY get rusty. Apparently it is not full-proof.

VICTORIAN LACE has not been a good parent for me. It has not produced many seedlings with good vigor. If you want a decent light colored parent, JT DAVIS would be a better choice or even GREAT WHITE, albeit a little rusty, but seems to breed out of it pretty easy.
Ed

MEET JOE BLACK was very rust susceptible in my garden.

Debra

MEET JOE BLACK has MARDI GRAS BALL and AWESOME BLOSSOM in its parentage, both of which are susceptible, to very susceptible to daylily rust. AB is pretty susceptible to crown rot.

Because the parents are susceptible to something doesn't guarantee the children will have the same susceptibility. but it's more often the case, rather than the exception.
Ed

Ed, I know what you're going through after Ike. I notice more rust on my DL's after every storm. And it makes sense that the increase in rust is probably due to wind blown spores. MISTER LUCKY has been one of my better daylilies. It does get rust on occasion. But all the leaves die very quickly after an outbreak and then new growth resprouts rapidly and it stays clean for a long time (without spraying or cutting back). Have you ever had a daylily do this? I've wondered if this is what some people refer to as "summer dormancy". In my case, the leaf die back is not due to drought ...but to rust. It only happens to a few of my DL's...AMANDA'S INTRIGUE is another one that has done this.

Debra, I appreciate the feedback on MJB. This is the kind of information I need and why I find this forum so valuable. I like the dark eyed DL's, but all that I've grown have been rusty. I planted another one this Fall (THUNDERATION)...but I've already noticed a little rust on it. We'll see how it does next year.
Kathy

Hi Kathy,

Yes I've noticed that some daylilies foliage will die back quickly after getting rust. At some point the rust growth slows down and the plant casts off the older, infected foliage. I don't think it is summer dormancy though. Summer dormancy as a term has been used long before rust was present here in the USA.

I will have to check my THUNDERATION. It has been a good plant and I don't recall ever having a rust problem with it. A very good rust resistant, dark eyed daylily, is WITCHES WINK. It's a good parent too. It was used in the Kinnebrew's current lines to produce their darked eyed flowers. It would be a good cross to MR. LUCKY - I just made myself a note! :0)

You might try Stamile's ROCK SOLID, it has been recommended. I'm trying both it and it's parent INNER DESTINY.
Ed

Ed, Thanks for the recommendations. I will look for all of them this coming year. I am hoping that the rust on THUNDERATION was due to the stress of shipping and replanting in a new environment. We are also having some warm temps with heavy fog every morning and evening. It's rust heaven, here! Maybe we'll get some cooler weather next month and I can cut back all the daylily foliage. Hope you have a nice holiday!
Kathy