raee, plant resistant varieties, destroy alternative host plants, apparently. Link.

Unfortunately the other hosts are not within my control-- I have arborvitae (which I have never read is a host) but no juniper or cedar. Took out all the juniper shrubs that there were. However, as I said, red cedar is an abundant native around here and there are many within a one mile radius. Plus the neighbors surely have junipers and cedars.

Spraying is a waste of time and money, I found. You have to spray repeatedly, and after every rain; in this area in the spring that means spraying every 2-4 days. I was never able to control the infection at all. I tried several products all with no success.

I will have to see if I can find a source listing A-Q rust resistant varieties of apples.

Is there anything else I can/should do to sanitize the area?

==>>> you are thinking way over the top here ...

with no host .. what else is there to clean up ...

are you perhaps thinking of steam cleaning the mulch.. etc ....

all i have ever done.. is remove the problem ... and moved on with replanting ...

ken

That rust needs an alternate host, some say within 1/2 mile, to over winter on or in and that is a member of the Cedar ("juniperous) family.

Here is a link that might be useful: About Cedar-xxxx rusts

Ken, I was worried about spores lingering in the mulch then infecting anything new that I planted in the area. Therefore I questioned whether I needed to remove the mulch. Does that really seem like such a ridiculous question?

Thanks for the link, kimmsr