What are the black spots that I see on my plants?

In most cases, the black spots that you are seeing on your plant leaves are sooty mold. Sooty mold is a black mold that grows on plants that have been infested by insects such as whiteflies. The mold occurs when fungus grows from honeydew that is secreted by insects during feeding. The fungus then spreads and covers the leaves on the infected plants. You can identify the sooty mold by first looking at the leaves of the plant. They will typically look burnt or like they are covered in soot. If you flip over the infected leaves, many times you will see spots of larvae on the bottom of these leaves, and often is you shake the plant whiteflies will begin to fly. Sooty mold can be found on plants including Azalea, Camellia, Citrus trees, Crape Myrtle, Elm, Fig, Gardenia, Laurel, Oleander, Pine, and Rose.

The best way to control sooty mold is to control the insects. Spraying infected plants with an insecticide or simply spraying your plants with a hose will remove much of the mold. Once treated, some mold may remain. This mold will need to be sprayed with horticultural oil once the weather cools down. If you identify the insect infestation early you can fight against future development of sooty mold. If the mold is limited to a few branches, remove the branches and spray the rest of the plant. This will prevent the mold from spreading. A weak dish soap solution can remove the mold from structures, furniture, patio umbrellas, and other gear and will also help inhibit more insects.

Click here to view a video of our Director of Premium Services, Zach, showing you an up close of identifying sooty mold.

As always, please contact our team with any of your lawn concerns.