Miscanthus rust

A quick look at Google tells me this rust is really Miscanthus blight. Has anyone had luck eradicating this problem and what did you use?

This is the color the blades are supposed to be.

ardesia - If this is miscanthus blight, my research says it is caused by a soil-borne fungus, Leptosphaeria, and the plants must be destroyed. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Yikes, that is bad news.

Quick, somebody tell me something more positive..........

There are numerous citations fom the internet, and from Rick Darke's book suggesting a standard treatment with copper and/or sulphur based fungicides may control Miscanthus Blight. Banrot is a wide-spectrum fungicide suggested by Darke.

Trim off diseased foliage as soon as it appears.

Take care to keep the plant clean of dead foliage, especially in fall, and clean up all foliage litter aroung the plant.

Use foliar fungicide sprays and soil soaks before the typical onset of the fungus.

Interesting that both of you (and Rick Darke) come from much cooler climates. This is not a typical problem here in my area and I have had these plants for many, many years and nothing new has been planted nearby. There must be a vector for the introduction of this fungus. Hmmmmmmm, lot's to think about. Thanks

To be honest, I had never heard of it before, I just googled "miscanthus blight" for my information. I have Darke's book, but never thought to look there either, duh. I'm sorry I'm not smart enough to tell you the vector, but there is lots of information right here on the internet to sort through. Before you burn it, maybe you could just try cutting it down all the way? That's pretty drastic, but that is what we do here in the cooler climates. Fresh new growth sprouts with warm weather here, so you may get new growth right away. Burning it may sterilize the soil or something, I don't know, but since that's kinda dangerous, I would try that as a last resort.

I had cut them to about 5 inches the other day but today my DH ran over them (on purpose) with the lawn mower to get them down to about an inch. Will rake out all the bad stuff in and around the plants and use a fungicide. I kept a sample to send off to the Clemson Labs to see what they say about it.

I would really like to hear the answer. According to what I've read, the problem is becoming prevalent esp. down South. Possibly due to the more temperate climate and humidity?

In general, there isn't really a specific "vector" for phytopathogenic fungi (fungi which can damage plants). They reproduce by spore, and when conditions are appropriate for a bloom of spores, "spore showers" occur, and they can be carried by anything from wind and rain to birds and insects. Some fungal spores can over-winter in soil, while others are killed by freezing temperatures.

The key to their effect on plants is the relationship between the fungus and the host plant. If conditions are right, a single spore can develop quickly into a colony of fungus, and generate a spore shower. If your Blight infected Miscanthus blooms, it will attract insects and birds. If it's fungal infestation is severe enough, it may be covered and surrounded with a halo of spores. Theoretically, a Goldfinch feeding on the seeds may then become a vector for the fungus, carrying it to other plants.

The two fungi responsible for Miscanthus Blight are fairly new to horticulturalists, having only been discovered 10-15 years ago. Consequently, little research has reached conclusion. Therefore, treatments are still general, wide-spectrum fungicide and good garden-keeping practices.

Right now an ambrosia beetle is the vector (by causing damage) for a fatal fungus that is attacking the Red Bay trees in the South. Unfortunately the Sassafras and the Magnolia and the Red Bay are all in the same family. Thousands of Red Bays are already gone and the Sassafras's are on their way out. Hopefully we can get a handle on this before our beloved Magnolias are impacted. It is devastating to watch our native trees being wiped out.

I am pretty much a no chemical gardener with generally very good results but perhaps this is the time to look into fungicides. For the second year in a row we have not had any freezing weather; this certainly optimizes the conditions that fungi like.