I notice that there are bits of white substances on my blueberry leaves. Especially at the tips but some are on the body of the leaves too. I wonder what they are. I didn't notice much ants or aphids around it though. I can wipe them off clean easily with my fingers though but it seems to come back quite often. Can anyone help identify what it is, whether it is harmful, and how shall I treat the plant if so?
It looks like the start of Powdery Mildew, this is a fungus that in the right conditions can cover the whole plant in time causing leaf curl and death. In the past I have had this on my Blueberries, but have eradicated it by a gentle wash of the leaves with a soapy water solution as soon as it was seen. Friends have also removed and stopped it from reoccurring by applying Neem Horticultural oil with a lot of success. The most important thing is to target it very quickly after identifying.
