How to know whether you overwater or underwater?

[zhilin]

Hi,

I am going to set up a mini-bog (14'' size). There is no drain hole in the bottom of the container.

My question is: when I plant my CPs, how to know whether I overwater or underwater it? It is different to the tray method, which I can see the water table. But for the bog, I'm unable to see it.

Thanks.

[BRiiZi]

What plants are you going to put in? Some plants are more tolerate than others. Certain plants have a drought and others have floods in the wild. And the answer to your main question, just observe your plants. If they're yellow and floppy, then they're overwatered. If they're croaking and droopy, they're underwatered. I hope these answered your questions.


ieat100s

[zhilin]

Hi, ieat100s,

Thank you for your answer. I am going to plant: Cape Sundew, Drosera scorpiodes, Sarracenia psittacina, Sarracenia Judith Hindle, flytrap, and another Sarracenia (not yet determined). Can I put theses CPs together in the mini-bog? What I am worried about is, Sarracenia psittacina likes water more than other Sarracenias.

What I am still confused is, when you keep the surface soil moist, you don't know whether the water table is 1-inch or 2-inch. In this case, you may overwater them or underwater them. I am afraid that the overwater or underwater may result in the death of CPs.

[brokken]

You can try terracing your bog garden like this:



This way you can grow species that prefer wetter areas than others.

[zhilin]

Oct 21, 2009 6:37:27 GMT brokken said:

You can try terracing your bog garden like this:



This way you can grow species that prefer wetter areas than others.

Thank you, brokken. That's cool!

[BRiiZi]

By the way you might not be able to grow D. Scrorpiodes in your bog, because it mainly can't go under 45 degrees.

[ICPS-bob]

Oct 30, 2009 22:48:20 GMT BRiiZi said:

By the way you might not be able to grow D. Scrorpiodes in your bog, because it mainly can't go under 45 degrees.

Really? My scorpioides plants experience temps near freezing each winter with no ill effects. I wonder how cold they can actually take.

[BRiiZi]

Oct 31, 2009 16:05:30 GMT ICPS-bob said:

Oct 30, 2009 22:48:20 GMT BRiiZi said:

By the way you might not be able to grow D. Scrorpiodes in your bog, because it mainly can't go under 45 degrees.

Really? My scorpioides plants experience temps near freezing each winter with no ill effects. I wonder how cold they can actually take.

At least thats what I read.

[ieatflys]

They tell you that that is when the temp is too low for them because they are assuming that people are going to let it go lower than it is able to. see what I mean.

thanks
ieatflys

[tonge50]

Brokken sets up great bog bowls. I like the idea of having different wet zones in the same bowl. I set up my bog bowl in a 14" dia, plastic bowl without drainage. I put in a center tube with notches cut around the bottom to allow water to flow into the substrate. The peat is slightly mounded, so nearer to the edge of the bowl is wetter than the center. I can check the water level by looking down the tube. The plastic tube is a bit unsightly though. I keep hoping that the sphagnum will start to grow and cover the edges.

[lostinhaight]

That method using the pipe to observe the water table is pretty genius.

[w03]

Looks like you have some hitchhikers in that bog bowl (pearlwort...)! ;D The pipe method to measure the water table is a great idea as well.

[tonge50]

Thanks for identifying that little volunteer for me. I was just reading some articles about perlwort and it sounds like it may become invasive. I had several ferns poping up and I took the advice of another member and pulled them out before they over ran the bowl. I had some volunter sundews earlier this summer, but they died back for some reason. Maybe the heat.



Different types of moss are starting to spread throughout the bowl. It should be pretty well greened up by next year.

[taz6122]

I think sundews would like a more sandy mix than the one in that pot.