Thanks, Phoebe! I will use chemicals, and I have Ortho's RosePride for
Black Spot, Rust & Powdery Mildew--do you think that would work on sooty
mold? Also, I have the Ortho Orthene that is for aphids and all sorts of
other pests--could I use that also?

I have never had much luck with gardenias, but I have managed to keep these
plants alive for almost a year, and I am going to re-pot them in a large
container so that I can control the soil and feed them lots of acid. I
think that's what makes them flower again.

Thanks again for the information!

"phoebe" wrote in message
news |
| phoebe wrote:
| * * Sorry, Scarlett: I made a mess of posting a reply to your query
about
| gardenias, as I'm new to the forum. The black stuff on the underside of
| your gardenia leaves could be sooty mould. If you use chemicals a spray
| with a fungicide should do the trick. Check the plants carefully for
| aphids: sometimes sooty mould grows on the sugary excretions they
| produce. I love gardenias but can never get them to flower again...
|
|
| --
| phoebe
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