FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I've set up an outdoor mini bog using a round plastic tub that is about 7" deep and 26" in diameter. I made a peat, sand and perlite mix ( 5, 3 , 2) and placed a water fill system made of 3/4" pvc pipe that runs along the bottom then up 2" above the surface. I put 3- 1/4" overflow holes 1 1/2" down from the top of the container. I've planted a few Sars and 3 flytraps in it so far, However, I'm having to add maybe a half gallon of water to it like twice a day. I fill it until it is draining from the over flow holes, but then, over a period of hours the water in the stand pipe drops 5-6 inches and I doubt that it is leaking out anywhere. This issue give me concern because the moisture in the media changes through the day even though it doesn't dry completely out at the surface. For the most part, the plants seem to be doing alright. I'm just wondering if this issue is a common experience in an outdoor mini bog?

Mine take close to a gallon a day when it’s cooler and close to 2 during the summer.

KategoricalKarnivore wrote:Mine take close to a gallon a day when it’s cooler and close to 2 during the summer.

Well that is kind of good to know, Thanks.

Soil looks way to wet to me.

A gallon a day seems to be a bit much... and yeah that soil looks more wet than it needs to be so you could probably cut down on the watering. Not really sure what you mean by the soil changing moisture even when not dry at the surface... was it mixed and hydrated well before planting?

I've got a cement mixing tub (about 1.5 x 2 feet, and only 5 inches deep) filled with long fiber sphagnum and about an inch of pure peat at the bottom to make a replica "northern bog" with Purps, D. rotundifolia, D. intermedia, and some tamarack larch seeds I threw in there this year, and I only find it necessary to water it with about a half gallon or less per day in the hottest part of summer. And if it rains one day and fills it to the top it can go like 5 days with no water. Most of the time I just spray the top to keep the live sphagnum growing.

Fieldofscreams wrote:Soil looks way to wet to me.

These pictures were taken just after I filled the container to over flowing, in which the water drains out of the drain holes, 1.5" form the top of the container. It is also good to note that this sits in full sun on the south side of the house so it gets HOT. I don't consider it as getting any "wetter" than a 4" pot sitting in 1.5 to 2" of water, when it rains, the overflow holes do not keep up and I might put some pea gravel on top to keep the perlite from washing out.

Mine is about the same width as yours but 2 feet deep. I fill it til the water is about 2-3 inches below the top of the soil and the water level drops probably 6-8 inches during the summer in one day.

KategoricalKarnivore wrote:Mine is about the same width as yours but 2 feet deep. I fill it til the water is about 2-3 inches below the top of the soil and the water level drops probably 6-8 inches during the summer in one day.

You have much more volume of media than I do but it seems like the evaporation rate is about the same on the average. The S. purpurea I planted all have extensive root growth, I had them inside until the end of April. The smaller S. (species unknown) I just planted and came from 1.5" pots, so not much for roots there. The VFT's I had under T5's and they had healthy roots when I put them out. There is also a S. Judith Hindle that is coming along. The point is, the better the root system the better looking the plant at this point.

The evaporation is mainly a function of the diameter, so the evaporate on a 24” and 26 “ will be similar but if the depth is less you have less of a reservoir so will be filling it more often,.

You could try to use a topping of white stones/sand to reduce the evaporation and temperature of the soil.

Aozora wrote:You could try to use a topping of white stones/sand to reduce the evaporation and temperature of the soil.

May leach calcium or other harmful ions into the soil. And they could build up more easily since there is no bottom drainage.

You could look for or make a white plastic mulch cover with holes cut around the plants if you want to conserve water. With a large, uncovered surface area, most of your water is being lost by just evaporating into the air. So from an efficiency perspective, it's best to either crowd as many plants into a large planter as possible or use a mulch cover. You see this done on farms in big white strips sometimes.

xr280xr wrote:

Aozora wrote:You could try to use a topping of white stones/sand to reduce the evaporation and temperature of the soil.

May leach calcium or other harmful ions into the soil. And they could build up more easily since there is no bottom drainage.

Quartz sand or stones wont have this problem if im right

Aozora wrote:

xr280xr wrote:

Aozora wrote:You could try to use a topping of white stones/sand to reduce the evaporation and temperature of the soil.

May leach calcium or other harmful ions into the soil. And they could build up more easily since there is no bottom drainage.

Quartz sand or stones wont have this problem if im right

True. And would look nicer than plastic, if effective!