Question
LIVE IN ZONE 8.
HYDRANGES AND DAYLILIES HAVE LEAF SPOTS AND RUST SPOTS RESPECTIVELY, AND THEY AREN'T BLOOMING. HAVE BEEN SPRAYING WITH FUNGICIDE FOR 3 WEEKS WITH NO NOTICABLE IMPROVEMENT ON EITHER ONE.  IS THIS ENOUGH TIME?  SHOULD I WAIT LONGER FOR RESULTS OR CHANGE FUNGICIDES?  ALSO, HOW ARE THESE DISEASES CONTACTED?  I HAD HEALTHY PLANTS LAST YEAR.


Answer
Barbara,
To effecively use fungicides, you need to start using them before the symptoms are evident.
Once the spots appear, then the disease has already done it's damage.
The best way to stop diseases from developing is to change the environment that encourages their growth. Start using soaker hoses to water your beds. Many disease grow on the surfaces of leaves that remain wet for long periods. Keeping the moisture off of the leaves dicourages the disease formation.
Fertilize them in the spring and fall using a granular, low nitrogen fertilizer to strengthen them.
You may need to treat them with fungicide next year as a preventative- in the spring as the leaves are starting to emerge and then every 10- 14 days throughout the growing season.
Good luck.
Ed Gulliksen