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The Origin of a Heuchera Rust Case

iogiog Posts: 19
in Problem solving
Greetings everyone. This summer, I purchased my first Heuchera (a 'Lime Marmalade') since 2009 from a reputable nursery (it was an online purchase). It almost immediaty showed signs of what I later learned was the fungus Heuchera Rust. The fungus spread to many leaves. I've removed the ones I can see that were infected though others will likely emerge, I water only at the base of the plant, and we'll now see what happens. If this was the only Heuchera I own and I don't see any on nearby properties and don't see any other form of transmission, how did this plant contract the fungus? Did it almost certainly arrive with it from the nursery? I would be grateful for any insights from those more experienced with this problem. 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They tend to get it more than other Heucheras in my experience. If you cut it back it usually improves. 
    They seem to get it more readily in a sunnier site too,  and they definitely perform better in a really shaded, damp position, but some years are worse than others.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • iogiog Posts: 19
    Thank you Fairygirl. That's helpful, and also hopeful. Mine is in a container, so it can easily be kept in fully shaded spot. I'd been keeping it in partial shade, to err on the side of caution. Its now quite heavily pruned. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They respond well to hacking back anyway, so it doesn't affect them at all, and often does them the world of good  :)
    I lifted one which was in the way of something else, and it sat in a plastic pot in full shade, without any soil, for about a month. Only watered with the rainfall, which was plentiful. It looks better than half the ones in the borders  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    I had a similar experience years ago. I was a bit miffed to have received an infected plant from a specialist. I was very new to gardening at the time so didn't really know anything about anything (not that I know a great deal now!) so when it spread to my other heucheras, they all ended up in a garden waste bag 🤦‍♀️  
    Fairygirl said:
    They respond well to hacking back anyway, so it doesn't affect them at all, and often does them the world of good  :)

    So true. Not so much a hacking, but one of my heucherellas was devoured by slugs to the point where it was nothing but stalks. Every time a new leaf would start growing, it'd get munched off 😭 Lifted and potted it and it's now happy and bushy 😊
  • iogiog Posts: 19
    You had some challenges early in your gardening career. Its great that you persisted.  I didn't know that heuchera were so resilient. I'm glad I didn't discard my infected plant (which almost happened). I do think I'll write to the nursery where I purchased this plant to inform that of this problem and see if their remaining stock are infected. 
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