pond in progress started 4/21/10

[addy1]

Addy, how is your carnivorous plant garden doing?
Do you water it with water from the pond?

They are growing back nicely. The first thing you see are the flower stalks, then the leaves

I water them from the well, they like acidic water which we have a lot of . They are planted in a mix of peatmoss and sand which helps since peat is acidic.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I think it is right planted in her bog Mitch, and bug said it is to die for! ha ha ha!

 

[addy1]

lol Colleen,love the to die for................. they are actually planted in a dirt bog, full sun. I keep it wet with well water which is acidic.

 

[MitchM]

Thank you.
I was thinking of changing over one of my aquaponic beds to carnivorous using the peat moss and sand with some gravel, as a method of pest control in the greenhouse.
I'm pretty sure the plants wouldn't survive our outside winter, but they may do well in the greenhouse.

Funny Colleen!

 

[addy1]

Make the mix 50/50 peat and sand, it does not need to be deep, 5-6 inches, they have very shallow roots. Bug eating machines. When you groom them they stink, the pitchers full of dead bugs, rotting dead bugs.

 

[callingcolleen1]

That's a good idea Mitch, you will have to try that in your greenhouse and let me know how it goes. I never had any luck with even the so called Hardy Pitcher plants, maybe my water was not acid enough. I think too they need high humidity. Way far on the east coast of Canada there is supposed to be some naturally growing pitcher plants down there, from what I heard.

 

[addy1]

They do best if they are dry wet dry wet type cycle. Mine get that pretty good, mainly because I forget to water them and they do get dry, full hot sun area.

 

[MitchM]

It may not work in the aquaponics. PH there is 8. Maybe I'll set up a separate tray like I have for succulents.
I will follow your soil mixture recipe for them though, thanks.

I have a misting system in the greenhouse, I should be able to accommodate their humidity needs.

 

[addy1]

The peat makes it a nice acidic soil. I would just try a few, bet they would do fine.

 

[toytika]

Love your pond and the fact that you are the one doing it, I don't know why but I am happiest digging in the dirt for gardening or playing with my pond and most people around me act like its a problem that I enjoy getting my hands dirty! Which is more the end result than the actual dirt if I had a Kubota I feel sorry for my grass Lol! Its awesome that you found alot of your rock or even a little. Where in pa do you go, I have been buying from the stone store cause its local and they are nice but I always leave feeling like a fool for paying so much for something that is naturally everywhere

 

[CountryEscape]

I am the same way, Toy, love working in the dirt, digging up or planting things. Nothing better for a sense of accomplishment than seeing the end result. I had to buy most of my rock, too. There are lots of streams and rivers near me, but it's a matter of going down the embankments and hauling the rocks back up. Seems like you get a bunch, then come home and what you got only will cover 5-6' along the edge. LOL Just have to keep going back. I'm slowly but surely going to swap out the natural rounded type of river/stream rocks for the purchased flagstone and square cut rocks.

 

[addy1]

My grass gets trashed every time I use the tractor. Chews it up. It grows back.
We go up to central city, tons of the flat field stone. A lot of work to haul it back. Load the back of the Yukon every trip.

I did pay for 5 pallets of rock, needed a lot. And a truck load of pea gravel and river rock.

 

[toytika]

Let me know when you do because I have more of the flat type and want more of the rounded type if I read that right! maybe we can swap, we had walkways all around my house when we purchased it. Also the stone place I go to has bargain bins and I go there a few times a year and get a bunch for cheap. Last time I went they didn't have much though but they also let me go into the other pallets and take a piece or two out of whatever I want for the same price. Someone told me to take a ride up 70 and get it from the side of the road

 

[addy1]

The rock yard I picked up a bunch from has a bin or two of left over pieces, broken, misc stones. That rock is pretty cheap. The pallets weren't to bad in price either.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I hand picked all my rocks over the last 25 years. Back then the ponds were much smaller so gathering rocks was not too difficult around here. Lots of rocks just sitting on prairie and down by river. It helps that I walk the puppies there daily and pick a few rocks all the time. Time to pick more rocks to finish the Cobbing around ponds.