What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

starting an above ground bog

Is there anything that can be used for an above ground bog besides pond liner? That stuff is bit expensive...
 
A prefrabricated above ground kiddy pool could be used in the place of pool liner.
 
You could also get cheaper plastic from Lowes or HD. Ask the person on here that goes by the name bucky something. This person has some great above ground bogs and I beleive they told me what the plastic was called. Its much cheaper than pond liner but it may not last quite as long. The plastic is clear but still thick and rigid.
Is there anything that can be used for an above ground bog besides pond liner? That stuff is bit expensive...
 
You could try a storage bin, or for something that would last longer, get one of those preformed pond liners. You can get one that fits into a half whiskey barrel for like $20 - not a very bad deal. I paid almost as much for my kiddie pools, but they aren't nearly as well suited for making an above-ground bog. I think a whiskey barrel with a liner is ideal because it gives more space than your typical pot but can still be moved, which seems to be the biggest appeal of an above-ground bog to me.
~Joe
 
well, i thought about it and really for the size it isn't too much more than getting something prefab. I want something way bigger than a whiskey barrel (i already have two of those which I am replacing). Concrete pans are an option but they still are like $20. I would need two or three of them to get to 6x6 or 4x8 or so, so there is $40 - $60 there. So the liners don't sound so bad I guess.
 
You can get bigger pond liners for less than $100, but you would probably have to put them into the ground if you were to fill them with media. Have you considered looking in the classified ads for a bathtub? (I don't think there is much better a gardening container than a tall claw-foot bathtub. My dream house is sure to feature a bogtub with some sort of elaborate water feature - maybe a waterfall constructed from two such tubs.)
~Joe
 
Yeah, I used 4 or 6 mil heavy duty black plastic that I bought at Lowes and it is doing good. I had a couple of people tell me that the plastic would gray and crack or turn brittle after a year or two but that hasn't been the case. I built them about 2 years ago and everything still looks really good. Here are a few pic of my bogs, each row is 30' long, 4' wide and 10-16" deep and I grow Sarracenia, Pings, Sundews and Utricularia in them:

DSCN1654.jpg



DSCN1655.jpg



DSCN1656.jpg



And I am adding a third row this year so I will have more room! Please ignore the mess as this pic is from early fall when I was still building them and they weren't completed.

DSCN2156.jpg



DSCN2157.jpg


If I can help with anything I would be happy to answer any questions.
 
Those are nice Bucky78!
Here is a less sophisticated set-up
<a href="http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s178/matopis/Carnivorous%20Plants/?action=view&current=sarraceniagrowoutcontainer1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s178/matopis/Carnivorous%20Plants/sarraceniagrowoutcontainer1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
I bought 3 2x4's, a heavy pond liner from the garden store, and some u-shaped nails.
I filled it with water and plants - and there you have it!
 
That looks really nice! I am going to have to build a few water tables like that in a year or two for all of my seedlings and will probably build them like yours.
 
  • #10
Matopis,
How much did this cost you? Just curious. Why only 3 2x4's?

 
  • #12
Now may also be a great time to find clearance price deals on pond liners at places like Lowes and Home Depot. I just bought three 12' x 25' flexible pond liners for 50% off the regular price (here in Pittsburgh, there isn't much call for these in January!)

That being said, I have had great success using several layers of the 6 mil plastic from the same stores. Still less expensive, and a little easier to work with as well.

By the way, local Lowes and HD also had the large preformed ponds half-off as well.
 
  • #13
wow those are nice bogs you have there, bucky.

Do you rememeber what part of Lowes you got that heavy, non pond liner plastic at? I would imagine that since it is buried it wouldn't need to be as resilient as a heavy pond liner but I could be wrong. I'd hate for it to fall apart on me as I'd have no clue as to what to do with all that peat :)

As for construction of mine, I was going to get to 10" x 2" in 12' sections and just cut them to a 4x8 box. I was just going to screw the ends together, but I notice you have some buried 2x4s for support. Are those necessary? How deep did you bury them?
 
  • #14
I got the heavy duty plastic close to the lumber. It has roof felt and such close by too. I used the 2 x 4 stakes on the first beds but decided to try without them on this recent row of beds that I built to see what happens. I can always add them if I see that they are needed. Hope some of this info helps!
 
  • #15
Wes, do not do without, trust me you will need them. I did without on my bog and the sides are bowed WAAAAAAY out because of this.
 
  • #16
OK, Thanks Travis. Nice to hear since I was going to experiment without them but I will go ahead and add them. Thanks for the info!
 
  • #17
No worries. Figure I'd save you the headache :)
 
  • #18
How do you guys get enough water for these outdoor bogs? RO filter? Or does rain do it?
 
  • #19
How do you guys get enough water for these outdoor bogs? RO filter? Or does rain do it?

Atlanta city tap is really really really really low in TDS :boogie::boogie:. I just hook up a soaker hose and turn it on for 15-20 min a week or there abouts
 
  • #20
I have a RO system that pumps water into a 30 gallon barrel but we get about 40" of rain annually so we get a good bit and that helps!

Travis, You're right. When I was in Atlanta last year to visit Brooks, I tested Atlantas water and the TDS was 37ppm!! I couldn't believe how low it was.
 
Back
Top