Sooty Mold - Appears as a black, sooty growth on the upper side of leaves. Is harmless, but indicates that an insect was or is present (usually aphids, whiteflies or scales). Whiteflies. As these piercing-sucking insects feed on the undersides of the leaves, they secrete a sticky, clear fluid that drops onto the leaves below. Sooty mold grows upon this secretion. Sooty Mold Water or Varietal Problem. The problem of splitting fruits usually occurs in the early fall.

Uusually back sooty deposits on leaves and branches are a fungus growing on sap produced by insects. It is not unhealthy for the shrub, but is unsightly. These can be aphids, but on shrubs the cause is often scale, small bumps on stems and underneath leaves. Again, this is rarely damaging to established shrubs. Treatment is to physically remove with your thumbnail or a small stick.

Chewing insect - Usually either a grasshopper or caterpillar. Damage is usually contained to a small proportion of leaves and should be ignored. The caterpillar is called an Orange Dog, and is the larval stage of the beautiful Giant Swallowtail butterfly.

Look beyond the discoloration for piercing, sucking insects that are causing the discoloration. Often aphids, whiteflies and scale insects are feeding on the undersides of leaves and along stems and producing excreta that falls on the leaves. A sooty mold fungus then lives on the nutrient-rich excreta to produce the unsightly leaves. Some insect activity and sooty mold growth can usually be ignored, usually on older trees.

The black spots are a fungus disease called Tar Spot. It infects Norway maple (including all of the horticultural forms such as "Crimson King"), Silver maple and Freeman's maple. The disease infects leaves late in the season and has little impact on the overall health of the tree. The disease is already widespread and sanitation (leaf removal) is not effective in reducing the infestation level for the following year, so let the leaves decay under the trees to at least improve the soil health.

The state is working with the USDA and UF/IFAS to determine new management strategies for citrus diseases. Recommendations for dealing with trees suspected of having citrus canker will be available soon. For now, you should not move any citrus plant material or fruit from your property and avoid coming into contact with the suspect plant to prevent spread of the disease. Do not mail or bring samples of suspected citrus canker or greening to extension offices.

Oranges and grapefruit are highly susceptible to foot rot disease, caused by Phytophthora citropthora and P. nicotiana. Some rootstocks offer considerable resistance to that disease. So on infested land, it's important to use such a stock. Rootstock variety has some effect on the strength of flavor of the fruit, the sweetness, total yield of the tree, and cold-hardiness of the tree. Some citrus scion varieties are difficult to root from cuttings.

A:The ideal pH for a citrus tree is 6.0 to 6.5, if it's on citrus roots, or 5.5 to 6.0, if budded/grafted to Poncirus roots or one of the Poncirus hybrids (citrumelo, citrange, etc.) Ideally, you should have your soil tested. A local extension office may do it for you, or even a local college or high school with a chemistry dept. Or you can buy fairly cheap pH meters or even cheaper pH testing paper (not very accurate, but perhaps close enough).

Air layers work best with a stem thicker than a finger -- maybe thumb size. But thinner stems can be layered if you're very careful not to break them. It's easiest to work when the plant is actively putting out new growth, since the bark will "slip," meaning it will peel cleanly away from the wood. Cut a ring around the stem, cutting through the bark to the wood. Don't go deeply into the wood. You can use a knife or the blade of a pruning clipper.

Macadamia trees really do not need to be trimmed, but you can if you don't like the shape of them. If you open the top so the sun light will be striking the tree it is a good idea to cover that part of the tree with "tree suntan lotion." Tree suntan lotion is a mixture of 50% white latex paint and 50% water.

This is an indication of a fungal infection. Fungal infections are usually the result of warm temperatures, high humidity and low light levels. Treat the plants with a systemic fungicide such as Phyton 27.

Blackspot is a fungus that causes black spots about 1/16 to 1/2 inches in diameter to form on the leaves and sometimes stems. The infected leaves later turn yellow around the spots and eventually fall from the plant. In bad cases, blackspot can severely defoliate a rose bush. The conditions that promote blackspot are wet leaves, splashing water and warm temperatures. Here are some ways to combat blackspot. Most of these methods also apply to preventing and treating powdery mildew.

Potted citrus trees can be planted almost anytime of the year. Fall and Spring are two of the better times. Since newly planted citrus trees are not as cold hardy as more mature ones, Fall planting should be done at least two (2) months before freezing temperatures can be expected.

Please do not mail or bring in samples to your county extension office. Instead, please ask them to send an agent out to examine your tree.

All patients experience some pain after cosmetic surgery, but this should be controlled with prescribed pain medication. Be diligent about applying hot and cold treatments as advised by Dr. Kjar. After the first couple of days, your pain should decrease slowly but steadily. If you feel you're in excessive pain, don't hesitate to call Dr. Kjar's office and discuss your situation with them.

Brown edges are often simply windburn. This is caused by wind drying out the edges of the leaves. More water can make up for the drying factor of wind. The leaves of deciduous trees will often look "tired" in the fall, as they are getting ready to drop. Just wait and watch. Fresh new leaves should emerge in spring.

If it's fall time, it's okay. If the leaf should be green and it's not, more than likely it is iron chlorosis. Other possibilities are spider mites, over-watering, or diseases. Walk through our online diagnostic clinic.

Leaves and grass clippings must be placed in brown paper composting bags or in a trash container with handles that is clearly marked "yard waste". Labels are available at the Municipal Services Office. Yard waste containers must be set at least two feet away from other containers. Yard waste is collected weekly between April 1st and November 30th of each year.

Black marks on leaves can be many things. The marks themselves are caused by a bacterial infection which sets in when the cells die. The breakdown of the cells is usually connected with a cultural problem, most often over-watering or overfeeding. Too much direct sun in summer can scorch the leaves causing a brown and black burn mark.

Applying botanical insecticides, horticultural oils, and insecticidal soaps to your plants can deter hungry insects. For more detailed information, read the articles Insect Management in the Home Garden and Natural Products for Insect Pest Management. If you need help choosing the right treatment for your plants or locating the recommended products, contact your county Extension office.