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Posted: Jul/23/2007 9:05 AM PST
My gardenias have a fine powdery black soot like substance on them. It seems to be affecting their health. I have ixoras within 5 feet of them but they show no signs of this black stuff. Any suggestions?? Attachments:   |
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Posted: Jul/23/2007 12:25 PM PST
found this on the web***  Several insects and diseases are likely to show up on your gardenia. When sooty mold coats gardenia leaves in summer, it is usually due to an infestation of whiteflies. These sucking insects look like bits of cotton. While eating, they excrete excess moisture in the form of honeydew and this, in turn, supports the growth of a black fungus. Similar in habit are small gray aphids, which cling to leaf undersides. In sandy soil, nematodes can cause gardenias to be stunted or even die. Nematodes are microscopic worms, which live in the soil and feed on plant roots. Root rots caused by several different fungi can also be a problem, especially in poorly drained soils. "Sooty mold," an organism that looks like a disease, often occurs on the foliage turning it black. This black, smut-like substance does not injure foliage but prevents sunlight from reaching the leaf, thereby reducing photosynthesis. The organism is not parasitic but lives on honeydew secreted by sucking insects such as aphids, scales, mealybugs and whiteflies. Sooty mold can be managed best by controlling these insects. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG336 There is good info here. |
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Posted: Jul/23/2007 2:16 PM PST
Thank You! That website was very helpful. |
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Posted: Jul/24/2007 6:00 PM PST
Frequently, tree limbs and leaves are covered by an unsightly, black, sooty growth called sooty mold. It may occur on any tree or shrub but is most common Sooty mold is caused by saprophytic fungi. It is not a disease and does not infect living plant tissue. Heavy growth by the fungus can reduce photosynthesis but does not harm the plant in any other way. Sooty mold is often found on plants infested with sap sucking insects such as aphids, white flies, or scales which produce a sugary secretion called honeydew. This honeydew drips down onto leaves and branches providing a food base on which the sooty mold fungi can grow. Sooty mold may also grow on sap or resin associated with wounds. it is not recommend control of the mold itself. However, the presence of sooty mold is often an indication of insect activity which has the potential for causing damage. Proper identification of the insect is necessary to determine if chemical control is warranted. Light coverings of the mold will gradually disappear during dry weather when its nutrient source is eliminated. Sooty mold can be physically washed off small plants if desired. |
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Posted: Jul/27/2007 6:34 PM PST
Thank You. |
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Posted: Jul/29/2007 6:36 AM PST
Poor plants.Hope a good future for it. 
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