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Post by pgkraus on May 24, 2015 18:23:55 GMT
I'm planning on starting a bog garden for carnivorous plants (mostly Sarracenias) in my yard but I had a few questions before I set it up and start buying plants. Several tutorials I found said to perforate the liner at the bottom and several said to leave it intact. Some tutorials also said to put gravel at the bottom then a peat and perlite mixture and some said to just use peat and no gravel or perlite. What would you recommend for a bog garden (keep in mind I live in zone 6)? Also, I live in St. Louis where our tap water is fairly hard (about 120 ppm) and there is a sprinkler head right next to where I want to put the garden. Could that kill the plants?
Thank you!
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Post by ICPS-bob on May 25, 2015 17:39:51 GMT
There are several additional details about your plan that would help. What is the size of your bog garden and how deep? The bog in the photos below was constructed by digging 3-foot by 4-foot by 18-inch deep holes which was lined with black plastic sheeting and filled with Canadian sphagnum peat. I poked a few holes in the plastic about 12 inches deep. In spring 2000, the bog in the background was constructed and planted with Dionaea, Drosera, Sarracenia, Pinguicula, and Darlingtonia. By spring 2003, the Sarracenia had overgrown the less tall plants and was shading them out. I then constructed the bog in the foreground and transplanted the Dionaea, Drosera, and Pinguicula into the new bog. rziemer.cpphotofinder.com/rziemer/zphotos/VFTbog355.JPGrziemer.cpphotofinder.com/rziemer/zphotos/VFTbog353.JPGFor the first several years, only little maintenance was needed. Just periodically pulling a few weeds. After about 3 years the peat began to decompose and more weeds invaded the more nutrient-rich bog and weeding became a bigger chore. By 5 years, I should have dug out the old peat and replaced it, but I didn't. Now, about 12 years later, I still can find some D. filiformis growing amongst the grass, the other short CPs have disappeared. The Sarracenia have died. The bottom line is you should construct your bog anticipating periodic maintenance. Anything over 3-feet wide will make reaching the middle from either side difficult to weed. Deeper bogs allow more buffer for drying or flooding. St. Louis receives an average of 3-4 inches of rain each month during summer. You could collect enough rainwater to keep your bog wet. How frequently does your sprinkler operate? Perhaps you could shield one side of the sprinkler to reduce tap water from your bog. Otherwise, depending on the proportion of 120 ppm water entering the bog (relative to rain water), you should be OK. You might simply have to replace the soil more frequently. Sarracenia are more forgiving of nutrients than some other species. Your next concern would be protection from freezing during winter. |
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Yaron
Full Member
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Post by Yaron on May 26, 2015 3:26:26 GMT
The layer of gravel at the bottom is optional. It acts as sort of a water tank at the bottom, for the dryer days, and lets the water spread evenly in the bog.
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Post by pgkraus on May 26, 2015 22:11:02 GMT
@icps-bob Thank you for your thorough reply. I ended up building the bog 3 3' long x 19" wide x 14" deep. I filled the whole thing with peat moss until the top 7 inches or so, for which i mixed in about 1 part perlite for 1 part peat moss. Then, I mixed in some sand at the top to keep ice from forming and uprooting the smaller plants like sundews. I did not perforate the liner but if flooding becomes a problem I can just make holes one the side about 4 or 6 inches down or something. You mentioned changing out the peat moss after a few years. How does one go about doing that?
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Yaron
Full Member
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Post by Yaron on May 27, 2015 4:26:00 GMT
With a shovel  |
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Post by ICPS-bob on May 27, 2015 17:52:39 GMT
With a shovel I agree! |
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Post by pgkraus on May 27, 2015 19:33:46 GMT
@icps-bob Thank you for your thorough reply. I ended up building the bog 3 3' long x 19" wide x 14" deep. I filled the whole thing with peat moss until the top 7 inches or so, for which i mixed in about 1 part perlite for 1 part peat moss. Then, I mixed in some sand at the top to keep ice from forming and uprooting the smaller plants like sundews. I did not perforate the liner but if flooding becomes a problem I can just make holes one the side about 4 or 6 inches down or something. You mentioned changing out the peat moss after a few years. How does one go about doing that? Lol. I meant without damaging or displacing the plants. |
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stevebooth
Full Member
Happy to be here
Posts: 140
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Post by stevebooth on May 29, 2015 12:20:37 GMT
It is impossible to do without displacing the plants unfortunately but it is also a good time to take divisions whilst you are doing it, as there will be literally hundreds to take if you so wish.
You can put off that very long and back breaking day, by top dressing during winter with pine bark and needles to put some 'body' back into the mix and treating with sulphur tablets in spring to increase the acidity of the bog, thereby slowing the rotting process and the release of nutrients.
Cheers
steve
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