Q and A: I don’t know what disease accumulates on the leaves in the following picture. Would you please identify it and tell us what we should spray it with?

From Whitney, Naples Answer: The plant is Schefflera arbooricola. The black substance is sooty mold. Certain sucking insects, notably aphids, scales, and whiteflies, suck sugary sap from plants and excrete it as a substance known as honeydew. ... READ MORE