I bought a calanthe tricarinata a little over a month ago. A few days after it arrived in the mail it bloomed. The flowers have all fallen off now. What should I do? I've read online that the foliage should be removed, the bulb dug up, washed and roots trimmed then set back in the potting mix. Is this true?
Hi Jake--mine flowered this spring for the first time, actually they are still kinda blooming. I bought them last fall with foliage still on them, and overwintered them pretty well frost free with minimal watering so they died right back. I wouldn't touch the new foliage...I'm assuming that's what you have too...new fresh looking leaves? These should feed the bulbs all summer, keep them fertilized and watered until the late fall then help them go back to sleep for the winter when you could detach the senescing foliage in preparation for next spring's growth. These are very borderline hardy here, so I keep mine in pots and overwinter frost-free...assuming you will do something similar there?
