Fungicide for Black Spots on a Ficus

Black Spot

• Black spot is a fungal disease infecting a variety of plants. While it is a major problem for citrus trees, it is mostly an aesthetic issue in ficus trees. It starts out with fuzzy, black patches of mold on the leaves’ upper sides. These spots are soon surrounded by a yellow halo of sick tissue. In severe infections, the leaves turn completely yellow and then drop early. This interferes with a ficus’ ability make enough nourishment and leads to a failure to thrive. If you’re using the ficus for shade or part of a natural barrier, this interferes with its usefulness.

Fungicide

• Use fungicide to control black spot on your ficus plants. Purchase commercial sprays containing copper oxychloride at gardening supply stores. Copper is a natural fungus killer. Make your own fungicide with common household materials. Combine 2 quarts of water, 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. This creates a solution strong enough to kill black spot and its spores, but won’t harm your ficus tree or its leaves.

Applications

• Always apply commercial fungicide according to the manufacturer’s instructions. To apply the homemade fungicide, shake up the spray bottle. Spray the solution on infected leaves every 10 days. If your area is experiencing rainy weather, this can wash away the fungicide before it has a chance to work. Increase the application to every five days. Use the spray until the black spots disappear.

Considerations

• The homemade black spot fungicide will not retain its power. Only make as much as you can use in a month and discard any remaining solution after 30 days. You can use fungicide as a protective measure against black spot. When treated already infected ficus leaves, spray a protective border on the healthy leaves nearby. This prevents the fungus for spreading to healthy parts of the plant. As the infection clears, you can spray a smaller and smaller barrier area.