Sooty mould on lemon tree

[CathD]

I got an email from the Yates Gardening Club today that reminded me about the sooty mould I used to have on my lemon tree.

It looked like this:

If you ever see this kind of black ash on your citrus leaves or lots of ants, make sure you tackle the problem. It's caused by scale insects which are sap suckers and will likely kill your tree. You need to use a pyrethrim-based spray to smother and suffocate the insects.

Cath

Community manager's note: Check out How to diagnose a sick plant for expert advice. 

[EricL]

Hello @John57 

I suggest waiting for the tree to dry off as spraying the tree while its wet will will not be as effective. Evaporation will carry off the spray instead of staying on the leaves. To accelerate drying, I suggest using a blower on the leaves of the tree. The badly infected branches can be removed, but excessive trimming can be detrimental to the health of the tree as well. My only other suggestion is to wait for a sunny day to spray the trees. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[John57]

Thanks Eric, standing by for some dry weather. Meanwhile tried the Valencia or ange that fell off the tree. Sour sweet and fresh!