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Mouldy old Rho?

HeartinthedirtHeartinthedirt Posts: 300
in Problem solving
Some kind of strange, sooty looking mange over a select portion of our (very old) rhodi. Been out in the garden all weekend and kept forgetting to check for scale mites, or whatever they're called, and now I'm on the couch in my bathrobe and seriously CBA going to look. Does it suggest scale mites? We're actually debating cutting it back to the ground to give it a new lease of life, probably have to get a chainsaw to do it though! Any advice on either thing would be appreciated!
It's knowing what to do with things that counts - Robert Frost

Posts

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Sooty mould, from aphids. You could try wipeing it off but depends on how big the problem is.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Probably scale insects - but maybe from last year. So check if they're still there before doing anything drastic
    The sooty mould grows on their excrement - rain will eventually wash it off.

    You can prune it right back.
    I started trimming mine last summer, got carried away and ended up with 12 green bin loads.
    The remaining stumps are shooting out planty of new growth 


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • HeartinthedirtHeartinthedirt Posts: 300
    Pete.8 said:
    Probably scale insects - but maybe from last year. So check if they're still there before doing anything drastic
    The sooty mould grows on their excrement - rain will eventually wash it off.

    You can prune it right back.
    I started trimming mine last summer, got carried away and ended up with 12 green bin loads.
    The remaining stumps are shooting out planty of new growth 

    Pete, presumably wait til after the flowers have finished? We're a bit conflicted about making our robin homeless though.
    It's knowing what to do with things that counts - Robert Frost
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    They're so tough you could do it anytime.
    If it were me I'd enjoy the flowers and wait until the robins have fledged then give it a hack back

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd do as @Pete.8 says. They're very tough, generally. 
    I'm always surprised at the amount of queries on the forum about scale insect. I've never had it on any plant, and I've had plenty of the ones which are often susceptible. Good airflow is another factor when it comes to all sorts of pests, so the more that can be minimised, the easier it is to help prevent problems. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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