Sooty Mould

Signs of Sooty Mould

Sooty mould appears as a dark or black coating on leaves and branches. The mould itself grows on honeydew produced by sap-feeding insects.

This means that sooty mould is often a symptom of a pest problem rather than the main problem itself.

What to Do

Look carefully for aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, or whiteflies. Control the insects producing the honeydew first.

Once the pest problem has been resolved, the sooty coating can gradually disappear or be gently cleaned from the foliage where practical.