The Dreaded Black Leaf Mold

[Bamboomoon]

I've been really concerned about a black mold (I thought) growing on my Allgold. Searching the web, asking people about it, etc. Considering whether I should buy some expensive "solution". I thought it might be an aphid "honey" problem of some sort, as it (or something) was also attracting the yellow jackets. Scrapped at a leaf today, and discovered it was just soot particles from my chimney. Whew! Guess I need to pressure wash the plant and just relax about things a little ...

[philinshelton]

Sounds very likely that your Allgold has "sooty mold" which is a fungus that grows on the aphid honeydew. It does look just like chimney soot, thus the name. P. bambusoides and P. vivax (yellow forms especially) seem to attract aphids in western WA for whatever reason. Around here, if you have aphids, you can expect the black "soot" to follow.

[Bamboomoon]

Thanks Phil, for the "sooty mold" update. I'm still hoping it can be solved with a high pressure hose. All I know is, whatever it is scrapes off with a fingernail. I haven't actually seen aphids, but maybe I've overlooked them. I saw the same look on Allgold at Bamboo Mary's house, and she, like you, said at the time that the Allgold seemed particularly prone to it. Anybody else seen this, and/or found a treatment for it?

[Eastlandia]

I have aphids and the dreaded leaf-mold. It dosent seem to be effecting the plants, but I hope the cold temperatures will kill the mold, then I can wash off the plants. I entroduced lady-bugs for aphid control....
I feel like I just introduced cane toads, but we'll see how it goes.. -eastlandia

[Bamboomoon]

My wife and I live in a 1917 farmhouse, that is also home to ladybugs. We even see them inside the house, especially after the weather turns cold. They propagate somewhere inside the walls - some of which are still plaster and lathe. We regard the ladybugs as good luck, but obviously they haven't killed the aphids altogether.

Two summers ago I planted a lot of flowering plants to attract butterflies and bees, and I believe the plants and ladybugs also attracted dragonflies, which seem to have greatly reduced the ladybug population this year.

Maybe the leaf mold has to be tolerated, but I still want to try a high pressure hose on the All Gold, to see if it is helpful.