endstream endobj 100 0 obj<>/W[1 1 1]/Type/XRef/Index[9 42]>>stream Spray when temperatures are between 32 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit and conditions aren't foggy or rainy, and aren't expected to be within 24 hours. Wherever these secretions -- charmingly called honeydew -- drop, the sooty mold develops. 0000103579 00000 n The insects involved are small and may be present in large numbers before the black strands of sooty mold appear. 0000103294 00000 n 0000064051 00000 n Repeat once a week until insects are gone. How to Treat Black Leaves on Holly Bushes. 0000009543 00000 n The mold spores grow in the honeydew and, whether on the shrub or the soil, won't go away, even with fungicide, until you eliminate the insects. x�bbbf`b``� � - � How to Treat Black Leaves on Holly Bushes About Sooty Mold. 0000002812 00000 n Sooty mold looks a lot like the name implies. The tiny bugs can be hard to spot, but a trail of ants coming and going from the holly is easier to spot and is a sign of infestation by honeydew-producing insects. 0000009394 00000 n %PDF-1.4 %���� 0000090798 00000 n 0000125369 00000 n 0000008743 00000 n 0000047014 00000 n 0000012442 00000 n 0000003321 00000 n 0000006501 00000 n What Are the Causes of Black Mildew on a Holly Shrub? 53 0 obj<>stream 0000010968 00000 n 0000047284 00000 n 0000009107 00000 n 0000001724 00000 n Why Are the Leaves Turning Brown on Holly Bushes? 0000005451 00000 n startxref 0000139555 00000 n 0000102821 00000 n Once the insects are no longer producing honeydew, the sooty mold flakes off, though this can take some time -- sometimes until the following spring. 0000091568 00000 n When you see black powder coating the evergreen shrub's 2- to 4-inch spiny leaves, branches and even the soil beneath the shrub, the plant has sooty mold, though the condition is a symptom of a larger insect problem. 0000063764 00000 n The elegant cone-shaped canopy of "Nellie R. Stevens" holly (Ilex "Nellie R. Stevens"), suitable for U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 to 9, should be glossy and deep green -- among the darkest of any plant -- but not black. 0000002386 00000 n 0000078294 00000 n 0000000016 00000 n 0000091067 00000 n 0000091273 00000 n Occasionally, hollies are afflicted by the black mildew that is a side effect of scale insect infestations. She has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Michigan State University, is an avid gardener and volunteers at her local botanical garden. 0000007459 00000 n 0000011676 00000 n Looking a bit like sticky coal dust, sooty mold is the fungus Capnodium, which can coat plant leaves and stems, blocking photosynthesis and causing leaves to become stunted and drop when the problem is severe. This is most commonly on the leaves, but can be on the soil or ground cover around the shrub as well. 0 51 0 obj<> endobj On hollies like "Nellie R. Stevens," sooty mold can coat entire leaf surfaces. 0000010485 00000 n Your plant’s twigs, branches or leaves will be covered in a grimy, … Pruning out heavily infested branches and avoiding excess water and fertilizer can also keep the tiny insects at bay, decreasing the chances that your "Nellie R. Stevens" hollies will be disfigured by sooty mold. trailer Y �q�AL*ǡ| f��c`��` '�*C x�b``�c``�����$����1�����4$q=(f`Pb�gzĦ�w��C��瘽�^�j0�]�K``��h�p��C��� Ru����ca���l�6CS����'X%��\I�wi�b�|�U�ۚ��e�L 0000114279 00000 n Liberally spray pre-mixed insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on both sides of leaves and on stems to take care of scale and immature whiteflies. You may have to do this more than once to loosen and wash away the sooty coating from the broad holly leaves. Reed was editor of the "Grand Ledge Independent" weekly newspaper and a Capitol Hill reporter for the national newsletter "Corporate & Foundation Grants Alert." Scale, insects that resemble small white bumps, and whiteflies are sap-feeding pests of "Nellie R. Stevens" holly known to secrete honeydew. When your "Nellie R. Stevens" holly is in a prominent place and you'd rather not wait for for the unattractive black coating to go away on its own, you can wash it away, or simply turn over the soil. University of Florida IFAS Extension: Ilex X "Nellie R. Stevens", University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: Sooty Mold, University of Florida IFAS Extension: Black, Sooty Mold on Landscape Plants, Mississippi State University Extension Service: The Plant Doctor -- Sooty Mold, University of California Statewide IPM Program: Scales, University of California Statewide IPM Program: Whiteflies. 0000125853 00000 n 0000113994 00000 n H��VMo�8��W̱R��" =�)v{���K/�L[�ڢW�jx�%'�h%[���ͼ�7�,�������×o� 8|����,�Y,{��N5a�Y_� ܀��jk-hj������{��s��)��C�! 0000113504 00000 n To prevent sooty mold, control the insects. 0000008336 00000 n Monitor the shrubs frequently for signs of infestation. To keep sooty mold from reappearing on the shrub or soil surrounding it, you need to keep your hollies clear of pests. Control. Why Is My Winterberry Losing Black Leaves? 0000015356 00000 n Ants feed on the sweet honeydew and can even protect the smaller insects that produce it from their predators -- leading to larger pest populations. Sooty mold usually becomes visible in the spring and summer when insects are most active because the mold develops from sugars excreted by insects feeding on the plant's sweet sap. 51 50 0000009251 00000 n 0000001983 00000 n Symptoms of Sooty Plant Mold Growth. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Give the leaves a thorough soaking, wait 15 minutes and rinse the shrub with a strong stream of water from the hose. 0000010823 00000 n 0000004378 00000 n 0000125089 00000 n It is a type of mold that grows in the honeydew or secretion of many common plant pests, such as aphids or scale. Checking for Scale Insects. Mississippi State University Extension Service recommends spraying plants affected by sooty mold with a solution of 1 tablespoon liquid dishwashing detergent per gallon of water. Thus, trees and shrubs should be observed You can usually break the supply chain by wrapping the trunks of your hollies with double-sided tape to stop the ants in their tracks. �R��-`uX�����_W7a�S�I�)�`���7��/1MDA{�H�D!�y�HN�إ��R�S?�#������`8q�A��p�$�P���3M���Q�S&�=�9�⨆R�"�C�rEi4ka�ΰ~��" ʈ�eh�P�eW�r�}Y��m��� �.#�ǣ+�0h�T��ә��%�. 0000103097 00000 n 0000001557 00000 n 0000078574 00000 n Pieris, Cotoneaster, holly and other low-growing shrubs, growing under shady conditions are susceptible to serious damage. 0000125568 00000 n 0000009577 00000 n xref 0000015111 00000 n %%EOF 0000001296 00000 n Patricia Hamilton Reed has written professionally since 1987. The pests cover the leaves of your plant in honeydew and the sooty mold spore lands on the honeydew and begins to reproduce. endstream endobj 52 0 obj<>>>/LastModified(D:20060621120423)/MarkInfo<>>> endobj 54 0 obj<>/Font<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/ExtGState<>>>/StructParents 0>> endobj 55 0 obj<> endobj 56 0 obj<> endobj 57 0 obj<>stream <<7c3490f2bf492c44ae3efd3d520933d4>]>> On hollies like "Nellie R. Stevens," sooty mold can coat entire leaf surfaces. 0000091807 00000 n How to Care for a Silver Variegated English Holly. 0000113791 00000 n