I always buy my plants from Southern gardens due to the fact that I am in the south and they can ship their plants early, early Spring (1st of March) and can also ship their plants in late fall (last of October). All gardens that sell plants in the south (below the Mason-Dixie line) will more than lightly have rust. Unless they over-winter with degrees constantly in the lower 30's and have ice, sleet, snow covering their plants or if their plants are all dormant, there is no way you cannot get rust. It just takes the right conditions (rain, heavy dew, low temps) and you have a very good chance of having rust. Even if you isolate the plants, if you live in zone 8 (a,b), 9(a,b) and below you will have this terrible disease of your plant. I spray in the spring keeping it at bay, then when the temps reach in the high 90's to 100's guess what, rust doesn't grow anymore. It rears its ugly head again in the fall (Sept/Oct/Nov) and you spray again throughout the winter. The commercial gardens to stay in business have to spray and be inspected. At the time they ship, the plants don't exhibit any rust and if you live way up in the upper zones you probably won't have to worry after your winter of it coming back.
