Seek Out Those Sap-Suckers

Look out for signs that sap-sucking aphids are attacking and decimating your plants, says Toby

SOOTY mould might sound like an occupational hazard for a glove puppeteer, but it’s actually a fungus growing on the ‘syrup’ that drips on to bay trees, camellias and plants grown under glass.

Although the black covering looks unsightly and checks growth, it’s not a plant disease at all, rather a sign that sap-sucking aphids, whitefly and scale are building in numbers and gorging on new growth above.