Leaves discolored by sooty mold are not just an unpleasant visual change, there is much more to it: Tiny pests that have not only attracted this fungus, but can also cause serious damage themselves. What does successful combat look like?
Sooty mold always presupposes a pest infestation
detect soot
Sooty mold is a fungal disease that leaves clearly visible traces on the affected plant. A black, washable coating covers ever-increasing areas of their leaves. It is a fine mesh of mushrooms. Sooty mold fungi do not prefer any particular plant as they do not feed on it. Rather, they settle on the honeydew that some pests leave behind as excretion on the leaves.
Identify the pest
Sooty mildew symptoms also indicate a pest infestation. These pests must be combated promptly so that the affected plant does not suffer major damage or even die. At the same time, combating them deprives the sooty mold of their livelihood. The most common types of pests are:
- aphids
- scale insects
- Mealybug
- mealybugs
- white flies
tips
Irregular, black spots on the leaves indicate another type of sooty mold: blackspot. It is not related to a pest infestation, but occurs in damp weather. Mostly on plants that are outside outdoors.
fight pests
The identified pest must be combated as quickly as possible so that the disease does not progress or other plants are infected. The control measures depend on the type of pest. In any case, the following points should be observed:
- Isolate diseased plant from healthy plants
- Cut off heavily infested and damaged parts of the plant
- only use sharp and disinfected scissors for this
- Avoid insecticides if possible
- use natural home remedies instead
- e.g. B. Spray off pests with a water jet
- spray with soapy water
Remove the soot
The sooty mold itself does not have to be combated directly, since the fungus dies off as soon as no honeydew is available. The black coating should still be removed from the leaves with a cloth. On the one hand, it robs the plant of its beauty, on the other hand, it prevents light absorption in the covered areas and thus the necessary photosynthesis. When the plaque is wiped away, the lack of chlorophyll will show up as lighter leaf spots.