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About to make a bog garden planter


Guy

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OK, I know I said a bog garden would never be something I got into.  But I didn't know a purple one was possible!

One of these is now on order from Robert Dyas.  VFTs, Drosera and Pinguicula in the bottom tier, Sarracenia above.  Or perhaps the other way round.  No idea at the moment.

The lining is porous, so a plastic sheet will go in first.  I'll leave the top 5cm or so unlined so excess water can drain out.

The filling will be 50/50 sphagnum moss peat and vermiculite.  Unless anyone can advise better.  It would be good to fit a drain at the bottom in case of serious wetness.  Any ideas on how best to do this?  In fact, any ideas on how to make this work really well?

If this works and looks good then I might get another.

Guy

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Hi Guy

You will need a drain in them, otherwise prolonged water logging will cause anaerobic conditions, stop the oxygen transfer to the roots and eventually kill the plants.

im not sure how to accomplish this with a plastic liner internally, other than setting a syphon pipe into the troughs, via a piece of drain pipe inserted in one corner 1 1/4 or 3" and a smaller syphon tube to insert into that to drain fluid out, say a piece of hose pipe. You could try a piece of pipe siliconed into the liner fitted with a cork in the end to prevent constant draining, pushed through the side of the trough, but that may not be successful.

Dont use vermiculitethat does break down.

cheers

steve

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Thanks Steve

For the drain I might try a 1/2" hosetail through the bottom of the plastic liner with silicone washers to stop leakage.  The hosetail could be pushed through a small hole cut in the fabric liner of the planter.  Silicone tubing would fit onto the hosetail and be looped up to the top of the container to show the internal water level and then dropped down if the planter needed to be drained.

Vermiculite.  I made a mistake--I'm new to this!  I've bought a bag of Perlite, not Vermiculite.  Should be OK, shouldn't it?

Guy

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Guy. Sounds like a plan make sure silicone is applied well and allowed to go off properly (donot be in a rush to fill). As Steve said Perlite is fine and would be my choice.

Beware of dust from perlite though dampen it first o reduce dust getting on lungs

 

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