Getting Rid Of That Black Mold Around Shrubs And Ivy


by Rich Fuller - Date: 2007-01-19 - Word Count: 508 Share This!

Have you ever seen that sooty, gray stuff on the leaves of your shrubs or ivy? That's mold. It's another variety of the same stuff you find on your bathroom tiles or in parts of your house that have water damage.

Usually, we talk about mold as a problem inside the house, but mold can grow anywhere. In fact, it is most commonly found in the wild, where it breaks down decomposed matter and recycles it into the ecosystem.

You will often see the exact same type of mold growing in other parts of your yard, like a sidewalk or a tree.

The good news is that mold is not very harmful to your plants. This is a variety of mold that is not toxic. You may have noticed that you can simply rub it away with your finger and thumb and it's gone.

In some severe cases, the mold can block the sunlight and prevent photosynthesis. In that case, the effected plant may wilt more quickly than others. Too much mold on the leaves can block sunlight and weaken your plants, so it is good to remove it and keep it off.

This gray mold is more of a problem because it affects the way your shrubs or ivy look. It's ugly and it keeps the green from showing through. You want those shrubs and ivy to look as good as they can.

Causes
This mold is caused by insects feeding on the plant. Certain insects leave behind a fluid called "honeydew" on the leaves of plants. This honeydew keeps the leaves wet and produces ideal conditions for mold.

Any plant that is favored by insects that leave behind honeydew can easily develop mold problems. This includes many of our favorite shrubs and ivies.

You may have seen tiny black flies around your shrubs. These guys are the culprit. This is a common type of insect that causes mold problems. There are many others as well.

Prevention
The best way to keep mold off your shrubs and ivies is to keep the honeydew producing insect off of them.

This may require a bit of research. You first have to find out what insect is causing the problem. Then, you must keep the insect away using some traditional method such as pesticides.

In addition to pesticides, there are a variety of organic sprays that can help keep off the bugs. Horticultural oil is favored by organic farmers as an alternative to pesticides. You can find more information on horticultural oil here.

If you want to let nature run its course, another option is simply to periodically clean your plants. Spraying water on the leaves will help to make it easier to rub off the mold.

You can use a small amount of soap to remove mold, but be careful. Some plants may be effected by the chemicals in the soap.

I suggest you try out a small area first. Wash a small area with soap and check it later to see if it is okay. With this little test, you can make sure that you don't damage your shrubs with the treatment.


Related Tags: black mold, toxic mold, remove black mold, mold problems

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