Question
I was wondering what to do with a white powdery substance that ends up on my plants. Is it dust? Is it harmfull, and how do I get rid of it. I was also wondering why some of the tips of my leaves look like they've been burnt. Thank You for your time in responce to this question.

Answer
Hi Sherri
I am not sure what type of a white powdery substance you are talking about.  Is it under the leaves and along the stems?  It sounds as if it might be mealy bugs.  Are they clumps that maybe look like cotton?  If this is the case, you can take a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol and wipe these off.  If you watch closely, see if they fly.  You may also have 'white fly'.  These are tiny little flys that rest on leaves.  They would look like powder when resting.  If this is what it is, you can either buy a houseplant pest spray or mix rubbing alcohol, dish soap and water in a mister bottle and spray the plants.
As far as the brown tips, there are so many different reasons why this happens.  Too little humidity is one reason, too much fertilizer is another, too hot of sunlight is another.  Do any of these sound familiar?  Too much salt in the water will cause this also.  This will also cause a white powdery buildup around the soil.
Good Luck Sherri and if I can help any further, let me know.
Leslie