If this works, someone is going to have a tizzy explaining how. Sooty mold forms from the honeydew excreted by aphids and such.

I guess you could see less scale on a plant that is growing more vigorously. If they are nitrogen deficient and you start fertilizing with cornmeal you could see an improvement.

We also see a sooty mold from heavy scale infestations. Same idea as with aphids.

Paul

Field,
I did not go into great detail as to what I think may be happening re the possibility that cornmeal controls scale and sooty mold. When I first noticed this happening I sought out others with one or both problems and began experimenting, treating and observing their plants closely. At the moment I don't want to attempt an explanation although I am pretty certain I understand what is happening. It has nothing to do with nitrogen or fertilizer. What I do want is for anyone fighting scale and/or sooty mold to toss cornmeal under the plant(s) three times a year as I explained above and report their observations in about a year.

Shucks, Nandina, I understood you. I was just saying that, if it works, explaining how is going to take some doing. And all of us engineer/geologist/science type guys always want to know how and why something works. Otherwise, we don't know whether to believe it or not. That's how they teach us in school:-)