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Considering making a mini bog garden


fnglazz

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Hi all,

 

I've decided I would like to create a mini bog garden next to my greenhouse, but first I would appreciate your input.

 

1. I'm not sure how many litres I would need to fill the space. The measurements are approximately (inches): 60 x 40 x 8 (W x L x D)

 

2. I am currently experimenting with compost / perlite combinations. Compost from carnivorous plant sites, specifically made for these type of plants, can be very expensive. I recently bought 15 litres of compost for £20 from one site. Yet, yesterday, I bought 100 litres of Irish Peat Moss from my local garden centre for just £8 and am planning on mixing it with some perlite to see if my plants will survive. Do you think they could survive with this mix?

 

3. I am planning on putting Venus Flytraps, Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia Flava's, mainly) and Sundews into this bog garden. Would that be the right decision? Because I think the flytraps and Sarracenia's would be ok, but I'm less certain about the Drosera. 

 

Thanks for any feedback :)

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The Drosera will be fine in that situation. Forget commercial CP soil mixes. Use 50/50 sphagnum moss peat (such as Shamrock) and LIME-FREE horticultural sand or sandblasting sand or swimming pool filter sand.

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Hi fnglazz

 

Your volume is as near as damnit 350 litres.

 

As Richard suggests your peat (so long as it isnt Westland peat, who sometimes mix old grow bag mixes in with it) should be fine, mix it 50/50 with perlite, long fibre sphagnum or lime free sand and it will grow any of the plants you list.

 

Native drosera, plus capensis and binata all do well in my outsisde bogs so give them a go. The capansis and binata die back in winter but have so far always come back from the roots  in spring. The VFTs also do OK in as much as they grow but they dont thrive. I have them there for the novelty.

 

Ping grandiflora are also a welcome addition to the bogs, quickly multiplying into a green slimey carpet with lovely blue flowers in spring.

 

Go on get the project started, you will enjoy it and the plants will reward you, you will wonder why you didnt do it years ago!

 

Good luck and keep us posted

Steve

Edited by billynomates666
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