Does my orchid in a glass pot have root rot?

What's likely going on

From the photo, the roots look shriveled, discolored, and many seem dead or hollow. The plant is in a glass container, which usually holds moisture around the roots for too long. Orchids like this (commonly a Phalaenopsis) need air around their roots and a very free‑draining mix.

This combination—staying too wet, low air flow, and old or compacted potting mix—often leads to root rot. Rotting roots can’t take up water, so the plant actually dries out from the top even while the pot is wet. If the center of the plant (the “crown” where the leaves meet) is also brown and mushy, it may have crown rot as well.

To be sure, unpot the orchid and look: healthy roots are firm and green/silver; rotten ones are brown or black, mushy, or papery and hollow.

What to do

1. Take the orchid out of the glass pot and gently remove all old mix from the roots.
2. Inspect the roots. With clean scissors, cut off every root that is soft, dark, or hollow. Leave only firm, pale/green roots.
3. Check the crown. If it is mushy or smells bad, trim only obviously rotten tissue and keep the plant very dry at the center. If the rot is deep into the crown, recovery is unlikely.
4. Let the plant dry for a few hours so cut surfaces can callus.
5. Repot in a small pot with drainage holes using chunky orchid bark (or bark + a bit of charcoal/perlite). Do not use regular potting soil.
6. Water thoroughly, then let it drain completely. After that, water only when roots look silvery and the bark feels almost dry.
7. Give it bright, indirect light and good air movement while it recovers.

How to prevent it

• Always use pots with drainage holes.
• Use a loose orchid mix, never dense soil.
• Water deeply but infrequently; don’t let the pot sit in water.
• Empty decorative cachepots after watering so no water stays at the bottom.
• Refresh the bark mix every 1–2 years before it breaks down and stays too wet.

When to worry

• If almost all roots are dead and the crown is mushy, the orchid may not survive.
• If new firm roots and at least one healthy leaf remain, it can recover slowly.
• Watch for continued yellowing, a foul smell, or black spreading tissue; if that continues after repotting, the plant is unlikely to pull through and is best discarded to avoid pests or fungus spreading to other plants.