Orchid Problem

Orchids can get powdery mildew but it is not common. The white stuff could also be rotting plant material. It appears the foliage may be sun scorched. If you have it outdoors during this warm weather, it needs to be in a shady spot and indoors it needs to be where there is bright indirect light, not full sun. Water regularly but do not allow the plant to sit in water and feed with a slow-release fertilizer formulated for blooming container plants. Putting a greenhouse grown orchid outdoors in full sun is like us going out to the beach with no sunscreen and staying in the sun all day. Hopefully your orchid will recover if put in a shady spot outdoors or bright indirect light indoors. However, since this plant means a lot to you, the best advise is to take it to a nursery that specializes in orchids and ask them for help. We just can’t tell enough from one photo. Here’s some more info: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1415335.htm