Question
I have a jade plant that was given to me and is doing very well, a lot of growth and healthy looking. However, it has starting to get tiny white dots on the older leaves. They don't rub off but you can scrape them off with your fingernail. It is a fairly large jade and would be very time intensive to scrape every leave. If there is no other recourse I will certainly do that, but can you tell me if this is a fungus and how to address the problem before it gets any worse? Thank you!

Answer
Hi Peggy, it sounds like you have a scale problem, (possibly mealy bugs), Mealy bugs have a cotton like texture, whereas Scale has a harder shell covering, hence your ability to scrape them off. Be careful here, for Jades are in the succulent family and many insecticides will damage them, that said, I would try using common Isopropyl Alcohol with a cotton tipped applicator and touch each spot for about thirty seconds, this will kill the scale, or else, as you said, scrape them off individually. Nick