"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Gill Hall
writes
An old Skimmia japonica, planted in heavy shade under a tree, has finally
died.
I noticed its leaves were covered in sooty mould last spring, but didn't
do
anything about it. The dead branches were covered in white powdery mould,
and
some of the stems had whitish lumpy fungus shaped bits on them. Could it
have
been scale insect attack that really did for it?

That was my thought when you mentioned the sooty mould.


My dad had a similar sooty mould on his camelia, and contacted a radio phone
in on gardening. He was advised that the sooty mould was infact droppings
from aphids, and to wash the leaves with soapy water to clean them, and then
to spray with an insecticide to kill the aphids, and a fungicide to kill the
fungal spores which they spread.
hope this helps.