Question
I have two honeysuckle trumpet vines that I have on trellises on my clothes line poles.  They were growing beautifully earlier this summer.  Now the leaves are turning yellow, the green one have white spots on them.  The flowers are covered in white stuff and are not flowering at all.  Some of the flowers have black sooty stuff on them.  They turn gray and look like they are dying.  What should I do to get these vines healthy again?

Answer
Diane:
From your description, sounds like you have some insects feeding on your plant.They are more than likely responsible for the "sooty" growth.  This sounds like sooty mold.

It is best to first get an ID on the insect causing the issue. The white stuff on the flowers may be either wooly aphids or mealybugs. Snip off a twig containing some of these affected flowers and carry them to your local nursery/garden center. More than likely, these folks have probably seen it before. There are several good insect sprays out there, but knowing your pest can help determine the best one to use.

If you like, you can take a closeup photo and send to me and I can have a go at an ID as well.  Be sure to review your image on your computer first- to be sure it is in focus and sharp before you send it.  If the white spots are different from the flower issue, this may be something else like powdery mildew, a fungus- not an insect. Powdery mildew can make the leaves yellow if it covers the leaf.

Regards
Steve