My hollyhock babies are taking a beating

[SinLA]

Any gardeners out there who can offer advice?

Normally I get nowhere trying to grow hollyhocks, this year I've got a zillion of them (which I know I will pay dearly for if they make it to maturity and become behemoths fighting for space) but meanwhile, I've got yellow spots and bugs galore. This is NOT a in a tortoise-accessible area, though the goal is to eventually be able to feed from this if/when they mature and flower -- which should be a year or two (or three) from now. I have been using sluggo, and am tempted to use pesticides until they get more mature, but I don't even know what I'm dealing with for these yellow circles.

Any thoughts? All help and advice greatly appreciated...

Adding @EricW my gardening fairy godfather...

 

[wellington]

Pesticides wouldn't hurt seeing you wouldn't be feeding them for a couple years.

 

[EricW]

I have not grown or have experience with Hollyhock. However, this may be Hollyhock rust and a little bit of reading sounds like it can be a pain in the butt fungus to deal with. Most of the pictures online show more advanced "rust," which is caused by a fungus. This does look like the beginning stages of the disease.

Hollyhock Rust

Nicole Uelmen*, UW-Madison Plant Pathology Revised: 3/6/2014 Item number: XHT1231 What is hollyhock rust? Hollyhock rust is the most common fungal leaf disease of hollyhocks (Alcea rosea). Many other ornamentals (e.g., flowering maple, rose mallow) and weeds (e.g., common mallow) in the...

hort.extension.wisc.edu

Hollyhock: Rust | Hortsense | Washington State University

hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu

 

[SinLA]

I have not grown or have experience with Hollyhock. However, this may be Hollyhock rust and a little bit of reading sounds like it can be a pain in the butt fungus to deal with. Most of the pictures online show more advanced "rust," which is caused by a fungus. This does look like the beginning stages of the disease.

Hollyhock Rust

Nicole Uelmen*, UW-Madison Plant Pathology Revised: 3/6/2014 Item number: XHT1231 What is hollyhock rust? Hollyhock rust is the most common fungal leaf disease of hollyhocks (Alcea rosea). Many other ornamentals (e.g., flowering maple, rose mallow) and weeds (e.g., common mallow) in the...

hort.extension.wisc.edu

Hollyhock: Rust | Hortsense | Washington State University

hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu

Thanks Fairy Godfather!

 

[jeff kushner]

In the first pic, it looks like some type of mite damage to me. Look on the bottom of the leaves for white spots...
the 2nd pic is def the rust Eric is showing us.

good luck