Container bog garden

[gmorris]

I recently remodeled my basement and took out the old concrete laundry sink. I've put it in acorner of my back yard and plan to fill it with peat oss and plant some bog plants. Some of the plants that I'm thinking about are pitcher plants. Cardinal flowers and wild irises. Comments and suggestions would be welcome.
gmorris

 

[sissy]

Welcome but I would wrap a tarp around in the winter .Cement expose to freeze and thaw will fall apart .I made the mistake of leaving a big concrete pot out my first winter here and oh well we can guess what happened .Water got inside in the dirt expanded the pot and it cracked all over .I was not :bye2: happy with myself .Dummy I really felt like a dummy

 

[dieselplower]

Hi. I'm unclear on the setup of this container bog. Will there be any water in it or flowing through it?

 

[gmorris]

I plan to use waterlogged peat. I suppose it might get pretty soupy after a rain. Maybe the peat will float. I'm new to this, just kicking it around.

 

[sissy]

peat will float and once it gets water logged it will expand ,peat is what I use with potting soil in my planters .Will you be leaving the drain holes open or closing them .Drain holes open will mean it will drain and drain holes closed everything will float up and wash out plus it will freeze even faster .

 

[gmorris]

I will close the drains and completely fill the container with peat. I've been using peat for many years for breeding annual killifish.

 

[dieselplower]

I don't feel like it will work well either but maybe when we both think "peat" we think different things. I would use pea sized gravel.

 

[Becky]

Welcome aboard gmorris! :wave: sounds like an interesting project.

 

[addy1]

I plan to use waterlogged peat. I suppose it might get pretty soupy after a rain. Maybe the peat will float. I'm new to this, just kicking it around.

My carnivorous bog garden is 50 / 50 peat and sand. It does not float, stays waterlogged, but also dries out, which the plants love.

 

[gmorris]

So, Addy tell me about your carnivorous bog garden. How deep is your peat bed? My container is about a foot deep. How much do you let it dry out? What plants do you have? I am in zone 5. When I need waterlogged peat for breeding annual killifish, I boil it, but I won't be doing that for the bog garden so I'm not sure if it will ever become completely waterlogged. I'm a little concerned about using tap water from my garden hose, since my local water is moderately hard.

 

[addy1]

The peat/sand mix is around 8 inches deep, they have a very shallow root system. I tend to ignore it, if we have a hot dry spell I will wet it down real good, then ignore it for weeks again. The plants like the wet / dry cycle. I get it wet enough there is standing water. I did not put holes in the tarp to help it drain out. The bog garden is in full hot sun and dries out without any help.

2 - flava yellow
3 - flava ornata
3 - swaniana
3 - catesbaei
2 - rubra
2 - minor
2 - flava
2- purpurea green
2 - dana
2 -Scarlette Belle
2 -Judith Hindle
2 - Purpurea red
3 -Tarnock
2 drosera filiformis
2 venus fly trap

This is what I started with the fly traps did not make it through the winter. All else doing fine so far.

I use well water, ours is very soft but acidic. The plants like acidic water, I don't think hardness is a issue, but no clue really. The peat keeps the soil nice and acidic.