Leaves discolored by soot 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 themselves cause serious damage. What does a successful fight look like?
How can sooty mold be combated effectively?
To successfully combat sooty mold, you should first identify the pest that causes honeydew (e.g. E.g. aphids, scale insects, mealybugs), fight this with natural home remedies and then remove the black fungal coating from the leaves in order to restore light absorption and photosynthesis.
Detecting sooty mold
Sooty mold is a fungal disease that leaves clearly visible traces on the affected plant. A black, washable coating covers ever larger areas of their leaves. It is a fine mushroom network. Sooty mold fungi do not prefer any particular plant because they do not feed on it. Rather, they settle on the honeydew that some pests leave behind as excretions on the leaves.
Identify the pest
Sooty mold 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. Fighting them also deprives the sooty mold fungi of their livelihood. These types of pests usually come into question:
- Aphids
- Scale insects
- Mealybugs
- mealybugs
- Whiteflies
Tip
Irregular, black spots on the leaves indicate another type of sooty mold: star sooty mold. It is not related to a pest infestation, but occurs in damp weather. Mostly on plants that are outdoors.
Fighting 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 noted:
- isolating diseased plants from he althy plants
- cut off severely infested and damaged plant parts
- only use sharp and disinfected scissors
- Avoid insecticides if possible
- use natural home remedies instead
- z. B. Spray pests with water jet
- spray with soapy water
Removing the soot
The sooty mold itself does not need to be fought directly, as the fungus dies as soon as honeydew is not available. The black coating should still be removed from the leaves with a wipe. On the one hand, it robs the plant of its beauty, but on the other hand, it prevents light absorption in the covered areas and thus the necessary photosynthesis. When the covering is wiped off, the lack of chlorophyll will show up in the form of lighter leaf spots.
