Rust- a product of the interaction of the external oxidizing atmosphere with iron. The process of its formation is called rusting (). The term “rust” is inherent only to corrosion products of iron and its alloys. Any other metals can corrode, but do not rust!

Rust is hydrated iron oxide (iron hydroxide). Chemical formula of rust- Fe 2 O 3 H 2 O (sometimes they simply write Fe 2 O 3). It forms on the surface in the form of a rough coating, which has a loose structure. Rust color- from orange to red-brown.

Iron at a pH > 5.5 forms a sparingly soluble ferric oxide hydrate, which is white in color:

Fe 2+ mH 2 O + 2OH - = mH 2 O + Fe(OH) 2 ↓

When ferrous oxide hydrate interacts with dissolved oxygen in water, an even more sparingly soluble compound is formed - ferric oxide hydrate (brown color):

2Fe(OH) 2 + 1/2 O 2 + H 2 O = 2Fe(OH) 3 ↓

Secondary corrosion products (Fe(OH) 2 and Fe(OH) 3) can continue to transform, with the formation of hydrated oxides FeO Fe 2 O 3 nH 2 O - rust. FeO is an unstable compound, so it is often simply not written down in the rust formula.

Rust formation reactions:

2e + 2H + - H 2 ;

4e +O 2 + 4H + - 2H 2 O;

2e + Fe(OH) 2 + 2H + - Fe + 2H 2 O;

2e + Fe 2+ - Fe;

2e + Fe(OH) 3 - + 3H + - Fe + 3H 2 O;

e + Fe(OH) 3 + H + - Fe(OH) 2 + H2O;

e + Fe(OH) 3 + 3H + - Fe 2+ + 3H 2 O;

Fe(OH) 3- + H + - Fe(OH) 2 + H 2 O;

e + Fe(OH) 3 - Fe(OH) 3- ;

Fe 3+ + 3H 2 O - Fe(OH) 3 + 3H + ;

Fe 2+ + 2H 2 O - Fe(OH) 2 + 2H + ;

e + Fe 3+ - Fe 2+ ;

Fe 2+ + H 2 O - FeOH + H + ;

FeOH + + H 2 O > Fe(OH) 2 + H + ;

Fe(OH) 2 + H 2 O - Fe(OH) 3- + H + ;

Fe 3+ + H 2 O - FeOH 2+ + H + ;

FeOH 2+ + H 2 O - Fe(OH) 3 + H + ;

FeOH 2+ + H + - Fe 2+ + H 2 O;

e + FeOH 2+ + 2H + - Fe 2+ +2H 2 O;

e + Fe(OH) 3 + H + - Fe(OH) 2 + H 2 O;

e + Fe(OH) 3 + 2H + - FeOH + + 2H 2 O;

e + Fe(OH) 3 + 3H + - Fe 2+ + 3H 2 O.

Rust can exist in two forms: magnetic (γ-Fe 2 O 3) and non-magnetic (α-Fe 2 O 3). Hydrated iron oxide in α form (hematite) is a more stable compound. A solution saturated with rust is almost neutral. γ-Fe 2 O 3 usually forms a black intermediate layer between the hydrated oxides of Fe 2 O 3 and FeO. Therefore, we can say that rust consists of three layers of iron oxides of varying degrees of oxidation.

The rusting process of metal begins only when there is moisture in the air. When a drop of water hits the surface of an iron product, after some time you may notice a change in its color. The drop becomes cloudy and gradually turns brown. This indicates the appearance of iron corrosion products at the point of contact of water with the surface.

If rust has already formed, it is extremely difficult to stop the corrosion process and is not always possible. It’s better to prevent it and protect the metal in advance!

Plant rust is a common harmful disease caused by various representatives of the Heterobasidiomycetes subclass. A characteristic sign of rust is the appearance on the ground organs of plants of pustules of various shapes and sizes containing rust-colored spores. Some pathogens develop on only one host plant and are called single-host pathogens. There are also much more dangerous, multi-economic pathogens that can develop on several plants.

Rust disease - description

Symptoms of rust fungus damage are raised spots or stripes of a dirty red color that appear on the underside of the leaves and sometimes on the petioles. These formations are projected as yellow spots on the upper side of the leaf blade. As the disease develops, velvety pads with fungal spores form on the underside of the leaves in place of the spots.

The disease causes increased transpiration (evaporation of moisture) and leads to drying and falling of leaves. The plant's metabolism is disrupted, photosynthesis deteriorates, and the formation of growths decreases or stops. In case of severe damage, other terrestrial organs of the plant may also be affected. In addition, rust reduces yields, negatively affects the quality of fruits and leads to loss of winter hardiness of the plant. When cereal crops are affected by rust, the grain completely loses its baking properties. If the disease is not dealt with, it will lead to the death of the plant.

Photo: Pink rust on leaves

The microorganisms that cause rust are carried by wind or insects. Rust is dangerous for vegetable, spicy, fruit, flower, berry and grain crops. It affects plants such as pear and apple trees, gooseberries, currants, honeysuckle, grapes, raspberries, onions, garlic, beets, carrots, cucumbers, as well as garden and indoor flowers. The disease does not spare grains: rye, wheat, oats, barley, millet.

Fighting rust

Rust control measures

Treatment of rust on plants should begin at the first signs of the disease: at an early stage, it is enough to simply remove the infected leaves. If you missed the initial stage, and the disease took hold, and the pustules managed to multiply, you will have to resort to special preparations to combat living fungal spores on all plants. The greatest effect in the fight against rust was shown by the drugs Topaz, Abiga-Pik, Baktofit, Fitosporin and one percent Bordeaux mixture. But treating plants with a fungicide alone will not be enough to destroy the infection, and you will have to re-spray one or two weeks after the first one. Carry out the treatment on a warm, windless, cloudy, but dry day. If it rains the next day, the treatment will have to be repeated.

The method of infecting plants with the disease should also be identified. Professionals say that the source of infection is usually coniferous trees growing nearby. By the way, most often rust epidemics on indoor flowers began after the New Year holidays. Coniferous crops can be intermediate hosts of rust pathogens and, being resistant to them, do not get sick themselves, but are carriers of infection to other plants.

Rust disease - prevention

The fight against any disease consists of therapeutic measures applied when the disease has already taken effect, and protective measures, the purpose of which is to prevent infection by pathogens. Measures to protect plants from diseases and pests are called preventive, and it is they that most often save the harvest of gardens, vegetable gardens, fields and plantations from destruction. Preventive measures against rust include:

• cleaning the area after harvesting from plant residues;
• autumn plowing or deep digging of the site;
• increasing the resistance of plants to infections by following agricultural practices (sowing at the right time, timely balanced fertilizing, adjusted watering regime, and so on);
• seed treatment before sowing;
• preventive treatment of plants with fungicides or plant solutions;
• growing disease-resistant varieties and hybrids.

Treating rust on trees

Apple and pear rust

Rust affects almost all fruit trees, but most often apple and pear trees. A careful examination of the upper side of the leaves of a diseased tree can reveal oval reddish-brown spots, which increase in size as the disease progresses. You need to start fighting the disease immediately, otherwise by mid-summer, convex growths will begin to grow rapidly on the underside of the leaves, then the foliage will begin to fall, which will lead to a weakening of the tree, loss of part of the harvest and a decrease in its winter hardiness.

The first step is to remove all parts affected by rust: leaves, branches, shoots and fruits, and diseased branches are cut off, taking 5-10 cm of healthy tissue, and the sections are covered with garden varnish. Then the tree is treated with fungicides containing copper: one percent Bordeaux mixture, Abiga-Pik, Poliram, Cumulus, Kuproxat, Vectra, Strobi and others. The fungicide solution should be generously moistened on both sides of the tree leaves. After one or two weeks, the treatment is repeated.

Rust on other trees

Rust on other trees should be destroyed using the same means as on an apple or pear tree, but therapeutic doses of fungicides do not add health to the plants, and the chemicals can accumulate in the fruits. At the same time, the concentration of fungicides in solutions for preventive treatment is 3-4 times weaker, that is, these solutions protect plants from diseases without harming them. When is it better to carry out preventative treatments for trees against rust?

In early spring, before the buds begin to swell, the trees are sprayed with a three percent Bordeaux mixture. During the period between the swelling of the buds and the protrusion of the buds, the trees are treated with a solution of a contact fungicide. This can be Azophos (100 g per 10 l of water), Pencozeb (20 g per 10 l of water) or Medex (100 g per 10 l of water). Before flowering and immediately after it, trees are sprayed with Strobi or Skor (1.5-2 ml per 10 liters of water). During the period of fruit growth, it is advisable to carry out another treatment with one of the above-mentioned drugs.

Preventative treatments for trees protect them not only from rust, but also from other fungal diseases.

Rust is a disease in which living plant tissues, mainly leaves, are affected by fungi of the Heterobasidiomycetes subclass. Rustworms do not feed on dead organic matter, so after sucking the juices from one plant, they move on to the next. Often, rust is first detected on the leaves of crops; if appropriate measures are not taken in time, this disease can destroy the entire plant.

This fungus is so tenacious that it does not die when carried by air or insects over long distances.

The number of spores ripening at the same time reaches several tens of billions. For these reasons, the area covered by rust fungi is expanding at an incredible rate, and outbreaks of the disease are breaking out in the most unexpected places.

Appearance of the affected plant

A wide variety of plants can be affected by rust, from wild plants to agricultural crops, for example:

• cereals,
• industrial crops,
• ornamental plants,
• forest tree and shrub species,
• meadow and field grasses.

A characteristic sign of the disease is clusters of orange or brown spores on the underside of the leaf and yellow oval or round spots on the top. Soon the spots turn into stripes, the leaves turn yellow, then brown or black, dry out and fall off. This happens due to metabolic and water balance disorders, and a decrease in the energy of photosynthetic processes.

If you find various orange-yellow pustules on the leaves, know that after a while they will crack and spores will spill out of them, which are popularly called rusty powder.

So, in advanced cases, the leaves and other parts of the plant (shoots, buds and flowers) infected with rust die. Accordingly, winter hardiness and yield, the quality of fruits, berries or vegetables are significantly reduced. All grain crops affected by rust lose the baking properties of the grain.

Reasons for appearance

Rust disease is dangerous because it can spread through water, wind, and seeds. Having landed on a plant, the fungus destroys it from the inside. Taking away nutrients, it literally makes breathing of stems and leaves impossible.

Flowers at increased risk of rust infection include peonies and lupins, roses and phlox, irises and lilies of the valley, and plants.

The development of the disease is facilitated by the following factors:

• prolonged cool weather accompanied by rain or abundant watering;
• thickened plantings (this interferes with the timely drying and ventilation of plants);
• application of excess amounts of nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

Types of disease

Let's look at the manifestation of rust disease using the example of some garden flowers.

• Irises. Their leaves are severely affected by rust, caused by Puccinia iridis. A huge number of brown bubbles cover the surface. The leaves quickly turn yellow and dry out. By autumn, black stripes form on the dead parts, indicating that the fungus has gone into hibernation and not disappeared.

• Clove plants. At the beginning of summer, leaves and stems infected with the pathogen Uromyces caryophyllus become covered with brown pustules. After they have matured and burst, the plant is depressed and the leaves dry out. In autumn, the bubbles take on a dark brown tint - this is a sign that the mushroom has fallen asleep.
• Bulbous plants. Leaves infected with the rust pathogen Uromyces scillarum initially show small, colorless areas that turn yellow over time. Then brownish spores appear on the leaves and even on the scales. The fate of the leaves is the same as that of irises. However, the plant itself slows down in growth and stops blooming luxuriantly.
• Compositae. The spores of this fungus, Coleosporium solidaginis, are located on the lower surface of the leaves. The affected parts soon die. In autumn, the harmful fungus overwinters in flat orange pustules.

• Lilies of the valley. Yellow spots of round or oblong shape appear on the leaves of this flower infected with the Puccinia fungus. On the reverse side, under these spots, whitish pustules of a cylindrical shape and with inwardly curved edges develop over time.
• Cruciferous. All above-ground parts of plants of this family are damaged by white rust, its causative agent is the fungus Albugo candidae. A large number of white spores swell and bend the pads, causing the leaves to curl and die.

Fighting methods

Rust on the leaves of garden flowers (roses, hollyhocks, hydrangeas, lilies, lilies of the valley, irises, hyacinths, tulips, carnations, asters, chrysanthemums, gillyflower, gladioli, peonies) is a contagious disease that can and should be combated. There are many folk and chemical ways to destroy rust fungus.

Basic description of the disease Black spot is caused by the fungus Marssonina rosae, which, when it gets on plants…

Folk remedies

• 1 tablespoon of soda, 1 teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1 aspirin tablet, 4.5 liters of water. Mix all components and spray the plants once every 10 days.

Soda
Liquid dish soap

Vegetable oil
Aspirin

• Pour fresh manure (1/3 of a bucket) with water and leave for three days, stirring it from time to time. Filter using a strong cloth, then dilute with water in a ratio of 1:10. Spray plants only in the evening to prevent sunburn on the leaves. For a new treatment, it is necessary to prepare a fresh infusion.

Chemicals (fungicides)

In the fight against rust, 1- and 2% solutions of multifunctional contact and contact-local sulfur- and copper-containing preparations are most successfully used, including:

• Flint Star;
• "Colloidal sulfur" (cumulus);
• "Bordeaux mixture";
• "Oxychom";
• "Falcon";
• "Coronet";
• "Copper oxychloride."

In rainy weather, during treatment with chemicals, you need to add so-called green soap or adhesive to the prepared solution. Its function is to fix the fungicide on the surface of the leaves.

The fight against powdery mildew (ashtray), a widespread and dangerous disease for many plants, must...

Prevention

The following preventive measures are the best way to combat leaf rust.

• When watering, make sure that water does not get on the leaves.
• As soon as you find infected areas on the plant: leaves or branches, immediately destroy them or bury them deeper into the soil.

• Get rid of intermediate rust hosts, isolate crops or plantings from diseased plants.
• In autumn, it is imperative to remove fallen leaves and fruits, and broken shoots.
• Before starting sowing, deeply plow the soil to destroy harmful spores overwintering in it.
• Clean, sort, treat seeds with fungicides (this is especially useful for preventing rust on sunflower, flax and sugar beets).


• Once the leaves have blossomed, repeat spraying with special chemicals twice at an interval of two weeks. This way you can prevent rust of fruit bushes (gooseberries and currants) and trees (apple and pear), as well as conifers: pine and spruce.
• Separate varieties that are resistant to different types of rust fungi.
• Plant bushes with a dense crown along the perimeter of the site to eliminate the possibility of spreading infected spores from a neighboring site or from a nearby forest.
• You should not purchase land near pine forests.
• Weed regularly, as they can carry rust.

Rust is a very serious disease. In order not to start it, inspect the plants more often, because a disease detected at an early stage is much easier to cure. Under no circumstances hesitate to take countermeasures – “later” it may be too late. And most importantly, remember about preventive procedures to protect your garden from harmful microorganisms and not use chemicals.

Pillars, and they call it green rust. Several types of corrosion are distinguishable visually or using spectroscopy, and they form under different environmental conditions. Rust consists of hydrated iron(III) oxide Fe 2 O 3 nH 2 O and iron metahydroxide (FeO(OH), Fe(OH) 3). Given oxygen and water and enough time, any mass of iron will eventually convert completely to rust and break down. A rust surface does not provide protection for the underlying iron, unlike the formation of a patina on a copper surface.

Rust is generally the product of corrosion of iron and its alloys, such as steel. Many other metals also corrode, but it is the oxides that are not usually called rust.

Chemical reactions

A thick layer of rust on chain links near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The chain is constantly exposed to dampness and salty splashes, causing surface destruction, cracking and peeling of the metal.

Causes of rusting

If iron containing any additives or impurities (such as cast iron) is in contact with water, oxygen or other strong oxidizing agent and/or acid, it will begin to rust. If salt is present, for example, there is contact with salt water, corrosion occurs faster as a result of electrochemical reactions. Pure iron is relatively resistant to the effects of pure water and dry oxygen. As with other metals, such as aluminum, a tightly adhered oxide coating on the iron (passivation layer) protects the bulk of the iron from further oxidation. The transformation of the passivating layer of iron oxide into rust is the result of the combined action of two agents, usually oxygen and water. Other destructive factors are sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide in water. Under these aggressive conditions, various types of iron hydroxide are formed. Unlike iron oxides, hydroxides do not protect the bulk of the metal. As hydroxide forms and flakes off the surface, the next layer of iron is exposed and the corrosion process continues until all the iron is destroyed or the system runs out of all oxygen, water, carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide.

Reactions that take place

A bolt covered in rust and dirt. Pitting corrosion and gradual surface deformation caused by severe oxidation are noticeable.

Rusting of iron is an electrochemical process that begins with the transfer of electrons from iron to oxygen. The rate of corrosion depends on the amount of water available, and is accelerated by electrolytes, as evidenced by the effects of road salt on vehicle corrosion. The key reaction is the reduction of oxygen:

O 2 + 4 e - + 2 H 2 O → 4 OH -

Since this produces hydroxide ions, the process is highly dependent on the presence of acid. Indeed, corrosion of most metals by oxygen accelerates as the temperature decreases. The supply of electrons for the above reaction occurs through the oxidation of iron, which can be described as follows:

Fe → Fe 2+ + 2 e −

The following redox reaction occurs in the presence of water and is critical for rust formation:

4 Fe 2+ + O 2 → 4 Fe 3+ + 2 O 2−

In addition, the following multi-stage acid-base reactions affect the course of rust formation:

Fe 2+ + 2 H 2 O ⇌ Fe(OH) 2 + 2 H + Fe 3+ + 3 H 2 O ⇌ Fe(OH) 3 + 3 H +

which leads to the following reactions maintaining the dehydration balance:

Fe(OH) 2 ⇌ FeO + H 2 O Fe(OH) 3 ⇌ FeO(OH) + H 2 O 2 FeO(OH) ⇌ Fe 2 O 3 + H 2 O

From the above equations it is clear that the formation of corrosion products is due to the presence of water and oxygen. With the limitation of dissolved oxygen, iron(II)-containing materials, including FeO and black magnet (Fe3O4), come to the fore. High oxygen concentrations are favorable for ferric iron materials, with the nominal formula Fe(OH) 3-x O x/2. The nature of corrosion changes over time, reflecting the slow reaction rates of solids.

In addition, these complex processes depend on the presence of other ions such as Ca 2+, which serve as an electrolyte, and thus accelerate the formation of rust, or in combination with iron hydroxides and oxides to form various precipitates of the form Ca-Fe-O- OH.

Moreover, the color of rust can be used to check for the presence of Fe2+ ions, which changes the color of rust from yellow to blue.

Rust Prevention

Peeling paint exposes areas of rusty sheet metal surface.

Rust is permeable to air and water, so the underlying iron continues to corrode. Preventing rust therefore requires a coating that prevents rust from forming. A passivating layer of chromium(III) oxide is formed on the surface of stainless steel. A similar manifestation of passivation occurs with magnesium, titanium, zinc, zinc oxide, aluminum, polyaniline and other electrically conductive polymers.

Galvanization

A good approach to preventing rust is the galvanization method, which typically involves applying a layer of zinc to the object to be protected, either by hot-dip galvanizing or electroplating. Zinc is traditionally used because it is inexpensive, has good adhesion to steel, and provides cathodic protection to the steel surface if the zinc layer is damaged. In more aggressive environments (such as salt water), cadmium is preferred. Galvanization often does not reach the seams, holes and joints through which the coating was applied. In these cases, the coating provides cathodic protection to the metal, where it acts as a galvanic anode, which is primarily affected by corrosion. Aluminum is added to more modern coatings; the new material is called zinc-aluminum. The aluminum in the coating migrates, covering scratches and thus providing longer lasting protection. This method relies on the use of aluminum and zinc oxides to protect surface scratches, as opposed to an oxidation process such as a galvanic anode. In some cases, in very aggressive environments or long service life, both zinc galvanization and other protective coatings are used simultaneously to provide reliable protection against corrosion.

Cathodic protection

Cathodic protection is a method used to prevent corrosion in structures hidden underground or underwater by introducing an electrical charge that inhibits electrochemical reactions. If used correctly, corrosion can be stopped completely. In its simplest form, this is achieved by connecting the object to be protected to a sacrificial anode, resulting in only a cathodic process occurring on the surface of the iron or steel. The sacrificial anode must be made of a metal with a more negative electrode potential than iron or steel, usually zinc, aluminum or magnesium.

Paintwork and other protective coatings

Rust can be prevented by using paint and other protective coatings that isolate the iron from the environment. The history of rust paints dates back 50 years to the invention of Hammerite paint in England. Large surfaces divided into sections, such as the hulls of ships and modern cars, are often coated with wax-based products. Such treatments also contain corrosion inhibitors. Coating steel reinforcement with concrete (reinforced concrete) provides some protection to the steel in a high pH environment. However, corrosion of steel in concrete is still a problem.

Metal coating

Rust can completely destroy iron. Pay attention to the galvanization of non-rusted areas.

• Galvanizing (Galvanized Iron/Steel): Iron or steel is coated with a layer of zinc. The hot-dip galvanizing method or the zinc blowing method can be used.
• Tinning: Mild steel sheet is coated with a layer of tin.
• Chrome plating: A thin layer of chrome is electrolytically applied to steel, providing both corrosion protection and a bright, polished appearance. Often used in shiny components of bicycles, motorcycles and automobiles.

Blueing

Inhibitors

Corrosion inhibitors, such as gaseous or volatile inhibitors, can be used to prevent corrosion in closed systems.

Economic effect

Rust causes degradation of tools and structures made from iron-based materials. Since rust has a much larger volume than the original iron, its buildup leads to rapid destruction of the structure, increasing corrosion in areas adjacent to it - a phenomenon called “rust eating”. This phenomenon caused the destruction of the Mianus River Bridge (Connecticut, USA) in 1983, when the bearings of the lifting mechanism completely rusted from the inside. As a result, this mechanism caught the corner of one of the road slabs and moved it from the supports. Rust was also a major factor in the collapse of the Silver Bridge in West Virginia in 1967, when the steel suspension bridge collapsed in less than a minute. 46 drivers and passengers who were on the bridge at the time were killed.

see also

Notes

Links

• Corrosion Cost A site dedicated to studying the economic consequences of corrosion

Rust is the most common, terrible and difficult to treat fungal disease for plants, the treatment of which must be carried out at the first sign, especially in a small area. Due to the fact that indoor plants are in a confined space, that is, indoors, the disease multiplies very quickly.

Plant rust is easily identified. The disease on indoor flowers is diagnosed by the presence of pustules (pads). They come in various shapes and sizes. A characteristic feature of rust is the method of spore reproduction. Namely: fungal spores, in the form of yellow pollen, form in the pads on the leaves until a certain moment, then they burst and spread throughout the plant, also falling on nearby flowers.

Experts have noted that the peak of “infection” of indoor plants with rust occurs in the winter.. The main reasons for the activity of the disease are a decrease in “immunity” (lack of sun), the maximum likelihood of contact with intermediate hosts.

Coniferous trees are often a temporary refuge for rust fungal spores, the needles of which easily fall off and can come into contact with house flowers at any time. For example, during movement and installation of needles. Often, inexperienced housewives use conifer needles as fertilizer for home flowers. If the pustules were on the needles, then the flower will inevitably be infected, regardless of the time of year.

How dangerous is the disease?

Yellow pollen, that is, a fungal spore (of the genus Phragmidium or Puccinia), causes the death of the leaves of indoor plants, and in particularly “neglected” cases, other parts. With a lack of sunlight, heat and fresh air, the plant’s “immunity” and ability to survive in the winter may decrease.

Indoor plants with “rust” on the leaves are diagnosed with impaired metabolism, the process of photosynthesis, and moisture absorption. In such plants there is a sharp decrease in the formation of shoots or the absence of them at all. If the disease on the leaves is not treated, it will quickly spread to all organs and the indoor flower will die.

How to diagnose rust?

It is quite easy to determine that rust has “settled” on the leaves. The first and most basic sign that the disease manifests is a red, oval-shaped pad. After several days, the number of pustules increases sharply, filling all the free space on the leaves.

In order for the fight against rust to begin in a timely manner, you need to know the possible locations of the pustules:

• leaf;
• stem;
• box with seeds;
• calyx of inflorescence.

Red spots and stripes are most often attached to the underside of leaf blades; much less often they can be identified on the stem and petiole. If the disease appears on the upper side of the leaf, the pustule may have a light yellow color.

The superficial location of the fungus provokes excessive evaporation of moisture, premature drying and death of the leaf.

Methods to combat plant rust

Treatment for rust should begin as early as possible. At different stages of disease development, anti-rust methods differ. If you start fighting the disease right away, it will be enough to cut off the infected leaves and destroy them.

At later stages, when the pustules have had time to multiply, experts recommend using special anti-rust preparations to combat living fungal spores in all infected areas of the plant.

It is important to know! Treatment of indoor plants is carried out only with special protective gloves that prevent the penetration of the drug onto the skin.

The most effective drugs in the fight against the disease:

• 1% Bordeaux mixture (a mixture of copper sulfate and lime powder).
• Topaz.
• Abiga Peak.
• Baktofit.
• Fitosporin-S.

It should be noted that a one-time treatment of the plant may not be enough to completely cure the disease. Young (resistant) pustules with spores are able to survive after treatment. Therefore, experts recommend re-processing the plant after 7-14 days.

Also, do not forget that you can completely get rid of the disease only if the cause and method of infection are identified in a timely manner. Experts say that most often indoor plants get rust from coniferous trees. It is not for nothing that most disease epidemics began after the New Year holidays.

Most conifers are intermediate hosts. They are resistant to the disease, since the affected needles on coniferous trees fall off and do not require special spore control.

Subtleties of spraying infected plants

• When fighting fungal spores, experts do not recommend additionally irrigating the plant, since the effectiveness of treatment decreases, and water contributes to a greater spread of the disease.
• To prevent the chemical solution from getting on neighboring “healthy” plants, spraying should be carried out in an isolated space. Upon successful completion of each spraying, you need to rinse all components with water to prevent the chemical from getting on people or animals.
• Store chemicals only in a cool, dark place out of reach of children.

For “safe” spraying you need to use:

1. Rubber gloves protect the skin of the hands from the penetration of chemical elements.
2. A mask to protect the face and respiratory tract from vapor penetration.
3. Sprayer. Used for quick and safe flower pollination.
4. Chemical.

The beginning of the process is based on diluting the “healing” powder with water in the proportions indicated on the package. Next, you need to carefully pour the resulting liquid into the sprayer tank and connect the system.

Place the “sick” plant in an open area (without drafts), spray it from all sides (upper and lower parts of the leaves, trunk, cuttings, inflorescences).

How to properly organize prevention

An effective means of combating rust is the organization of periodic prevention of the disease. To reduce the risk of contracting the disease, you should:

• Strictly follow the recommended calendar for introducing nitrogen fertilizer into the root and foliage systems.
• Plant plants in a timely manner.
• Water indoor plants on a schedule.
• Eliminate plant residues from flowerpots.
• Minimize contact between house plants and coniferous trees.

By using special anti-rust preparations in a timely manner, you can save more than one indoor flower, but also protect your “green corner” from total destruction.