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Sterilite container experiment for mini-bog

jimscott

Tropical Fish Enthusiast
Sterilite%20container.jpg


Pictured is a typical Sterilite container, purchased at Target. I saw the holes and thought that this container would be great for allowing drainage, interchange of water, and containment of species.

I have begun bringing plants home from the lab and started with my most invasive Utrics (livida, bisquamata, and the sandersoniis), as well as my Sarrs, VFT's, and Cobra lily. Yes, a cobra lily - again. As providence would have it, I put them outside last night and just hauled them to safety tonight, due to predicted heavy rain is moving into our area. It has handles for quick removal.

Soon I will bringing the rest of the Utrics, D. filiformis, D. binata, D. intermedia, and all those pigmy sundews.
 
Greetings,

     I've been using the same type of container for Darlingtonia. I line the inside with LFS, and then fill with the required soil mix.  So far it works great.  I'm going to try D. intermedia and some Heliamphora next.  

Good Luck

I forgot to mention that the best thing about the container is the look on your spouse's face when you bring it inside with water dripping everywhere.
 
Hey Brian! Welcome to the forums! And thanks for empathy. Lined with LFS? So far I have 4 of them set up. The Utrics weren't terribly thrilled but the Darlingtonia, VFT's, and Sarr. seem unfazed. I just like the idea, especially for water circulation for the cobra lily and providing nutrition for the Utrics.
 
How do you circulate water?
 
He is going to put it in a small stream.


Jerry
 
make sure the water isn't too acidic.

i'm gonna try that too!
 
Greetings,

   When I first set up mine for the cobra lillies, I had a system that circulated the water like a hydroponic table.  I used a 20 gallon rubbermaid container with a submersible pump in the bottom.  I set a clean cat litter pan on top of the rubbermaid.  The pan had holes drilled on one end about 2 inches up to control the water level. The water was pumped into the upper tray, and once it filled up, it spilled out of the drilled holes and fell into the lower container.  It worked really slick, and the cobra lillies put out new pitchers, but I had to clean everything once a week due to algae growth.  It became a pain, so now I just grow the cobras in a tray of water and flush it with cool water once a week.  

Brian
 
I'm thinking about a system like that myself.I might give it a try this summer or next spring and see how it works.Temps here in the summer are 90f-100f.


Jerry
 
Hey Brian, that IS a nice set up! Recently, a friend has raised a couple of caveats. Aside from my woes of torrential rainstorms and carrying away of plants, it was raised that I might need to take into consideration that I might need a permit to have the plants out there like that. Also, one should be aware that runoff / pesticides might be an issue. Any thoughts?
 
  • #10
if you have permission from the owner, or your the owner, i seriously doubt you'll need a permit.
 
  • #11
Sounds like my moving water bog. The sarrs and VFT's, pings and drosera, thrive in this environment. There are basic differences in how ours work, but the idea is the same. To prevent algae growth in your holding tank, paint the outside of the tank with an elastomeric coating to cut off light, and cover the top to prevent any light getting in to the water. No light, no algae. The water flow is a very necessary one for CP health. The tray method works, but a flowing bog goes nuts!
 
  • #12
I've decided to put the bog thing on hold for now. Between too much failure, due to inability to control the variables and the strong likelihood of moving soon, this envdeavor will have tobe taken up another time. I will probably go with a "whiskey barrel" approach - next year.
 
  • #13
quote: "Between too much failure, due to inability to control the variables and the strong likelihood of moving soon, this envdeavor will have tobe taken up another time. I will probably go with a "whiskey barrel" approach - next year. "

You want to talk about an inability to control the variables, imagine what it would be like to move a whiskey barrel full of mucky peat moss if something unexpected were to come up (wind storm, heat wave, hurricane, etc). I like the idea of a mini-bog, but I think I'll stick to growing them in drained pots set in shallow rubbermaid containers. Ugly, but functional (and easy to move!).

Brian
 
  • #14
See you jsut bury the big containers (rubbermaid/sterlite 30 gallon) put rocks around the boarder and never have to move them. It's nice
 
  • #15
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Brian_W @ April 27 2005,6:26)]You want to talk about an inability to control the variables, imagine what it would be like to move a whiskey barrel full of mucky peat moss if something unexpected were to come up (wind storm, heat wave, hurricane, etc).  I like the idea of a mini-bog, but I think I'll stick to growing them in drained pots set in shallow rubbermaid containers.  Ugly, but functional (and easy to move!).

Brian
The ugly and functional is what I had last year and my wife wasn't too thrilled about it. I wouldn't have any reason to move a whiskey barrel. Maybe cover it if one of those hurricanes move up the coast and inland a bit. I plan to use the whiskey barrel for Sarracenias, VFT's, and North American sundews. The rest of the outside plants will reside in ugly and functional.

Tre's scenario is tempting, in that it would keep the Steriltes in place, but I am not confident of the media and plants being washed away. Maybe netting would work?
 
  • #16
whikey barrels can be very simple to move, just plan ahead by putting it on wheels.
a buried container with rocks around can make for a very nice display also. both are quite functional as mini bogs.
-julie
 
  • #17
After you plant the Sarrs and stuff you will get plants with lots of roots atlest 1 foot deep so you don't have to worry about them being washed away or the soil (expecially if you use live Sphagnum on top). Jsut make sure you don't use perlite.
 
  • #18
[b said:
Quote[/b] (pinkerton @ April 28 2005,4:46)]whikey barrels can be very simple to move, just plan ahead by putting it on wheels.
a buried container with rocks around can make for a very nice display also. both are quite functional as mini bogs.
-julie
Wheels- brilliant! Much better than ping grease! Thanks Pinkerton. Man, that cat is sharp!
 
  • #19
Also you could try Urine for moving the barrels. i hear it was very popular in anchient times. Water was used if avalible but you know slaves and servents have to urinate everyonce in a while and with several hundred...
 
  • #20
Um.... I'll just stick to wheels. Wheels are good. Great invention. Socailly more acceptable. Wheels it is.
 
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