Should I be worried about black "dust" on my peppers?

WendySue67 6/1/2011, 4:41 pm

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Should I be worried about black "dust" on my peppers? Cimg4811

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Two of my pepper plants have black stuff on the leaves. At first glance, it looks like there is very fine dirt sprinkled on the leaves, but it can't be wiped or brushed off. The edges of these same leaves are also black. Should I be worried about this? I should mention it has been raining like crazy for over a week--almost every day until yesterday (the black just showed up today) I have covered them to protect them from the cold and that has also shielded them from a lot of the rain but not all of it. I guess I am worried about fungus?

They are under bird netting to protect them from neighborhood animals so the image has the black grid in it... hopefully you can still see the black I am talking about.

**Furbalsmom** 6/1/2011, 8:18 pm

Sorry WendySue, I "googled" a bit and could not find any information on black powder on pepper leaves.
Hope someone else can help out here.

squaredeal 6/1/2011, 8:53 pm

Maybe its black sooty mold. This is from an article on pepper plant diseases:

Pests may cause rotting leaves and other problems with pepper plants. Aphids feed on the leaves of pepper plants, leaving behind sticky secretions of a honeydew residue that fosters the growth of black sooty mold. The mold causes leaves and fruits of the plant to rot. Twospotted spider mites suck the nutrients right out of the leaves, making them turn yellow and rot off the plant. Flea beetles and margined blister beetles eat holes in leaves, creating rotting and wilting. Control pest outbreaks with pesticides to protect plants and prevent further damage.

Read more: Rotting Leaves on Pepper Plants | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8321174_rotting-leaves-pepper-plants.html#ixzz1O4ja9n3r

WendySue67 6/2/2011, 12:36 am

Thanks! I think maybe you're right... after looking at a lot of pictures of black sooty mold that's what it looks like. I read that it isn't dangerous to the plant, just ugly...does anyone know if that is true? And does anyone know how to get rid of it?

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Should I be worried about black "dust" on my peppers?

Should I be worried about black "dust" on my peppers?

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