Black Mold on Camellias, Plus Scale Insects

Question

I have two beautiful camellia bushes, which have obviously been in this garden for many years and are well established, growing together. However, over the last few years the leaves have been covered in a black mold, which is really unsightly. I partially pruned them last year, but this year the problem is worse. Can I prune them very hard? Is this problem caused by scale insect?

Answer 1

These two problems frequently go hand in hand and scale causes sooty mold. If you treat the scale, the sooty mold will go away. These articles will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/scale-bug-how-to-control-plant-scale.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/how-to-get-rid-of-sooty-mold.htm