OT: Crepe Myrtle Mold

[sandwolf.sixpack]

The trunk/branches on my crepe myrtles have turned black (and it's spreading to the leaves), and based on a quick internet search it sounds like it is a black mold. From what I could gather, it is caused by insects that secrete honeydew on the tree and then the mold grows on the honeydew. Is this right? How do I get rid of it?

 

[cowbell88]

Does it look like this?

https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/publications/p2938.pdf

 

[Mr Todd French]

Spray with horticulture oil, or malathion. You can add a few drops of dish soap to make it stick. Ask Bayer makes some pretty good 3 in one products that are granular and very easy to use. Believe it or mow you can also buy lady bugs if you’re not into chemicals. They actually work.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

I thought we were trying to kill Crepe Myrtles last week?

 

[RocketDawg]

Yep. I suppose this is the answer of how to do it. **

 

[fevans]

Pressure washer.

 

[Xenomorph]

It’s a fungus. Just treated 4 that sound like yours. Use malathion.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Scrape some off, put it in a bag, and sell it for millions.

 

[Lettucexxxx]

Not sure what you have but some of it will spread. We had an outbreak over two years back and had to inject a bunch of trees to save them.

Anyways, hope this helps

Edit: To be clear, we injected the roots of the tree..all the way out to 3/4 feet.

 

[Shamoan]

Two of my crepe myrtles got it last year. One worse than the other. It made a huge mess, but this year, the scale and outer bark fell Off around the entirety of the tree and it appears to have beaten the mold by itself. We didn’t do any treatment.

 

[sandwolf.sixpack]

Does it look like this?

https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/publications/p2938.pdf

Mine don't have nearly as much white stuff on them. The trunk and branches look like they were set on fire....they are just black. And the leaves are getting black spots too. Seems like I may have seen some very minor white specs, but it is closer to what is shown in the picture below.

 

[sandwolf.sixpack]

Spray with horticulture oil, or malathion. You can add a few drops of dish soap to make it stick. Ask Bayer makes some pretty good 3 in one products that are granular and very easy to use. Believe it or mow you can also buy lady bugs if you’re not into chemicals. They actually work.

It’s a fungus. Just treated 4 that sound like yours. Use malathion.

Thanks. I will try the malathion.

 

[HumpDawgy]

PUT A MASK ON THAT TREE!!!!

View attachment 17253

 

[Dawg1976]

Ha. Good pic of the Doc.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Same here

Two of my crepe myrtles got it last year. One worse than the other. It made a huge mess, but this year, the scale and outer bark fell Off around the entirety of the tree and it appears to have beaten the mold by itself. We didn’t do any treatment.

They looked rough for one year, then back to normal.

 

[Awwhellnaw]

I’m willing to bet it was the same issue I had. As you have pretty much already said, it is caused by aphids. The fungus grows on their droppings. So to get rid of the fungus, you got to kill the bugs. Can’t remember the brand of insecticide I used, buy it apparently worked. Seems like it took a little while for the trees to come back around, but they did.