Overwatering and root rot
Soggy bark, brown mushy roots, and yellowing lower leaves point squarely at overwatering — the most common way a moth orchid declines.
Diagnosis
Overwatering and root rot
What's happening
Phalaenopsis roots are adapted to grip tree bark and dry quickly between rains, so they need air as much as water. When the bark stays wet, the roots suffocate, turn brown and hollow, and rot. With fewer working roots the plant can't support its oldest leaves, which yellow and go soft from the bottom up.
How to fix it
Slip the plant out of its pot and rinse the roots clean. Healthy roots are firm and green or silvery; cut away every brown, mushy, or hollow root with sterilized snips until only firm tissue remains. Repot into fresh, chunky orchid bark in a pot with generous drainage — ideally a clear one so you can watch the roots. Going forward, water only when the bark is dry and the inner roots have turned silvery-grey, and never let the pot stand in water.
What fixes it
- Orchid bark for chunky mixes — Fresh chunky orchid bark drains fast and gives the roots the air they need to recover.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Moth Orchid care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this