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Posted 5d ago by @belamour8moth

Help!? Black mold?

This small aloe tree is looking pretty rough. Appears to be invested with mealy bugs? And then there is a black moldy thing growing in the centre. How can I help this it?😢 #mealybugs #aloevera
@Slyvie
Sylvie
1482 XP
5d ago
@Slyvie
That aloe is in rough shape unfortunately :( I’m not sure how to salvage it, you might be able to cut off a leaf, wait until it dries, and then propagate it? Not too sure, but I’m almost positive there’s no way to save the whole plant at this point unfortunately :/
@stephongreg
Steph
41831 XP
5d ago
@stephongreg
@Slyvie aloes don't propagate the same as other succulents, it can only be done via offsets 😉
@stephongreg
Steph
41831 XP
5d ago
@stephongreg
@belamour8moth this looks like black sooty mold formed on the sticky white secretions, or honeydew, from the mealy bugs. Whether or not it's savable depends on the condition of the crown, which from the photos appear pretty heavily damaged. First thing I'd do is blast the hell out of it with water, then assess the crown's condition. Try gently pulling on the center to see if it's secure or loose. If it's secure, use cotton balls saturated with isopropyl alcohol to swipe up visible mealy bug clusters, then hit the entire plant with insecticidal soap, paying close attention to the crevices in between leaves.
@belamour8moth
Dominique
920 XP
5d ago
@belamour8moth
@stephongreg Thank you a bunch. I will try that all those before giving up hope. Could the bugs be spread to the soil or other plants in the same bed if I last them with water?
@Slyvie
Sylvie
1482 XP
5d ago
@Slyvie
@stephongreg I wondered, as I had an aloe years ago and that was the only way I could propagate, just didn’t know it was all aloes!