Bog full of water

[steveo]

It's raining every day!! My minibog is full of water. Some of the sundews are submerged.  Do I drain this or not?

If I do drain it, how much water should I leave behind?  I have them in a very large pot and could put a hole in it anywhere along its height to maintain a water level--I'd just water it until I saw leakage.

It's probably too late to put a pipe in so that I could see the water level without a hole--there is a free spot along the side, but I don't want to disturb the soil too much by cramming a pipe in.

Thanks!

STeve

 

[steveo]

Hmm--I could put a hole near the bottom and run clear tubing up the side--this should show water level clearly, assuming a good seal.

That's a pretty big assumption, of course.

Steve

 

[brisco225]

For short periods of time, the hight water table will not hurt the plants. I keep the water table at 2 inches below the crowns of the plants. I have drilled a hole at the two inch mark on each of my pots.

 

[RamPuppy]

too long submerged is obviously not good. I would drain it. I don't think you need a pipe.

Just get a drill, and SLOWLY work your way through the pot at the desired level, don't make the hole to big, and don't be impatient, it will drain.

If you do put a pipe in the bottom, be sure to cover the end with pantyhose so it doesn't clog (the end that goes in the bog.)

 

[noah]

Hi there,

What species of sundew do you have planted? Many of the native US drosera regularly becomes submerged during the wet season or even grow at the edge of lakes so that the rosette grows on the surface of the water and the roots anchor the plant to the bottom of the pond/lake.

A pipe thing would be a good idea, although you can often tell the appoximate water level be the moisture level in the peat.

Another idea (if you mini-bog is small enough) would be puncturing holes in the bottom and setting the entire bog in a large undrained pot full of water to act as a sort of water resevoir and "moat", as described in a CPN a few years ago. I did this on a much large scale, and it has worked out quite well:

-noah

 

[steveo]

Brisco, Ram, thanks.

I will have to think this over carefully. This thing will be in my basement over the winter (cold and sunny down there). A hole might make a mess when I water it.

Noah--that's a nice setup. Duckweed? Looks beautiful. I did not know that metal was acceptable. All the sundews are N. American varieties and they are doing OK, though they might be frustrated if they were self-aware. Every time one of them manages to snag a gnat, the rain washes it away!

Steve