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Black soot on Camelia

Pam285Pam285 Posts: 122
in Garden design
my Camelia, which is budding up nicely, but a lot of the leaves have a black, sooty deposit. What can I use to get rid of this please. 
Saltaire, West Yorkshire

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Water.   It's probably sooty mould growing in honeydew from aphids or some other sap sucking insect.  Wash it off and keep an eye out for pests which can, in many cases, be removed with a  blast from a hose pipe.  Chemicals will harm predators as well as the bad guys so best avoided.

    Check the camellia has a good drink and give it some slow release fertiliser to strengthen it.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Pam285Pam285 Posts: 122
    I did start with the water but wasn’t sure if there was anything else. I don’t use any pesticides in the garden.  Many thanks. 
    Saltaire, West Yorkshire
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    If it's really bad and sticky try baby wipes - ones without lanolin.  Then rinse clear.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Scale insects could well be the cause of the sooty mould.
    Are there any tiny limpet-like shells on the back of leaves or on stems?

    If the cause is cured the sooty mould will slowly wash away with rain.
    Some water with just a few drops of detergent and cloth would also work, depending on the number of leaves you have to deal with.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    If you can get any soft soap that works well & is more "natural". That is what I used when my Camellia suffered the same problem, I found water alone was not enough as the sooty mould had dried on and needed a good rub with a cloth soaked in the dilute soft soap to get rid if it.
    AB Still learning

  • Pam285Pam285 Posts: 122
    Pete.8 said:
    Scale insects could well be the cause of the sooty mould.
    Are there any tiny limpet-like shells on the back of leaves or on stems?

    If the cause is cured the sooty mould will slowly wash away with rain.
    Some water with just a few drops of detergent and cloth would also work, depending on the number of leaves you have to deal with.
    Hi Pete.8 Having checked the back of the leaves there is some discolouration but I couldn’t see any shells as you described. Will clean the leaves and see how it goes. 
    Thank you to all who have responded. 
    Saltaire, West Yorkshire
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