Fascicularia bicolor

WeAreGhosts

I have a Fascicularia bicolor in a small pot and it's flowered successfully for a few years. It's now completely pot bound, so much so that I'll have to break the pot to get it out. Does anyone have any success with these in the ground?
I'm guessing it would like my incredibly dry summer soil, but not the winter wet (on heavy clay)?
Also, what do I do with the spent flowers? They just remain looking brown deep down in the (spiky!) foliage. Should they be left alone?

Silvertabby

Growing tips

Good drainage is essential, so dig in lots of grit or grow fascicularia in a raised bed. Don't be tempted to enrich your soil as this will encourage lots of leaves and few flowers. After flowering the rosettes begin to die but new ones quickly form from the base. Pull away the dead foliage to prevent disease spreading from the rotting leaves. Mine grow very well in a partly shaded bed but they are best in full sun.
In the 1950s the RHS said that fascicularia could only be grown in the warmer southern counties of England. Today it is successfully grown throughout Britain - I have seen healthy specimens thriving in South Yorkshire - perhaps because of changing climatic conditions. It will withstand temperatures down to at least -10C as long as it is not in wet soil. If you live in a very wet area consider growing it in a large pot and keeping it in a cold greenhouse during the winter.

Probably best to re-pot it rather than plant it out in a clay border.