Calanthe sylvatica grows best in a well-drained, humus-rich medium. This medium should contain 3 parts river sand and 7 parts well-decomposed compost or leaf litter. Planting of pseudobulbs is done in spring. Propagation is by the division of pseudobulbs in early spring. Ensure that each pseudobulb has a new growing shoot, after separation, water heavily. Plastic pots of varying sizes can be used to plant the pseudobulbs. Potting up and repotting of C. sylvatica should be done in spring (late August or early September). Plants need a moist medium and regular watering in late spring, as the temperatures rise, and throughout summer. Reduce the frequency of watering in the autumn and winter months, but ensure that the medium never dries out completely between watering intervals.

In the greenhouse or when planting out in the garden, place your plants in a well-shaded position or place under benches, where not much light will reach the plant. In regions of high humidity C. sylvatica grows well in a shade house. Never leave your plants to sit in direct sunlight as this will harm the delicate leaves. Greenhouse temperatures should be between 5 and 22°C in winter and 20 to 36°C in the summer. Ensure that the plants get plenty of ventilation.

Slugs and snails feed on the leaves of C. sylvatica. These can be removed from the plants by hand, or a nontoxic form of snail bait can be added on the top layer of the growth medium. Under greenhouse conditions C. sylvatica is prone to geosporum fungus, which is common during the cooler months of the year. The use of an appropriate fungicide is recommended.