Starting a bog garden

[cockatielmother]

I'll be doing a miniature bog in a container with just 8 inches of space on top of the "self watering reservoir".

Many people have talked about having a layer of sand, followed by peat, topped by spaghum moss for the layers.

What is the purpose of the layer of sand? Could another media substitute. If it is just to serve as a reservoir for water, could something like lava rocks be used instead? If not, why not?

Alternatively, could I skip the sand layer and just use spaghum with lfs on top?

Inquiring minds want to know the REASONS for the different medias used.

 

[jimscott]

The afore-mentioned media mimic nature. Sand is very good for allowing drainage. Some people use perlite in their mix. Others avoid peat. Still others use nothing but LFS.

 

[Clint]

you could use lava rocks if they aren't basic. or large river stones or something. maybe put a piece of garden cloth over it so the soil won't sink down into the rocks.

i just mix it all up and dump it in there and put live sphagnum on top.

 

[ptfreelander]

The sand layer is more typically used in a large, in-ground bog. It serves as a resevoir for water and allows quick water movement through the bog, while the peat mimics nature in being an organic sediment deposit on top of the sand. In smaller setups, as in containers, the sand layer is omitted. Instead, you may try more sand in the peat mix to promote drainage. Since you will have a water resevoir below the growing medium, there is no need for the separate sand layer.