“The leaves are black. Sooty mold thrives on the honeydew created by gardenia bugs like aphids. The fungi causing sooty mold are known to occur on citrus, oleander, gardenia, fig, crapemyrtle, azaleas, pittosporum and many other ornamental bushes and trees. These molds then feed on this honeydew substance, making a black film over the foliage and stem. Understanding how a problem starts can save time and effort in trying to control it. It is an unattractive nuisance, but in itself it is rarely lethal. What Was the Black Soot on My Gardenias? The sooty substance is actually called sooty mold, and it is a fungus that is spread by insects. Karuka is affected by sooty mold caused by Meliola juttingii. Control sooty mold on plants by stopping it before it starts. Sooty Mold: White flies indirectly cause infestation of sooty molds by leaving a honeydew-like substance wherever they feed on the gardenia plants. Sooty mold on a gardenia leaf. Sooty mold is a black, smut-like substance that grows in the sugary secretion of sucking insects such as aphids, scales, mealybugs, and whiteflies. The mold may cover an entire leaf surface or appear in spots, depending on the severity of the problem. Make sure they are receiving full sun, especially if close to an irrigation head. Scot Nelson, CC license via Flickr. However, this method of prevention is time-consuming. I always had trouble with sooty mold on the shaded side of gardenia shrubs in south FLorida. Sooty mold, as its name implies, is a dark soot like covering on the leaves and stems of a plant. Gardenias are prized for their very fragrant white flowers and glossy, dark green leaves (Figure 1). If you control the aphids, you will also be able to control sooty mold. “My poor gardenias are suffering!” writes faithful reader, Sheri Chamblee. That’s the case with sooty mold. Although sooty mold doesn't penetrate the plant tissues, it can weaken it by blocking sunlight. ... Black Sooty Mold. It doesn’t attack plants directly. Sooty Mold Velvet-textured black mold disfiguring you gardenias follows infestations of sap-sucking insects, including aphids, soft scales, mealybugs and whiteflies. It takes around 2-3 weeks for black, sooty mold to appear after infestation by insects. Be sure to check your plants frequently and deal with any gardenia pests quickly to reduce the damage they cause. Control can be obtained by applying insecticides that reduce insect populations. Sooty mold forms a gray or black coating on leaves, tender stems or flowers. If you have gardenias or crape myrtles, you’ve probably seen it. Keeping these problems with gardenias in check requires constant diligence. This fact sheet provides a brief look at this popular plant. The black stuff on the leaves is a fungus called sooty mold. 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