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New to carnivorous plants - how much water for pitcher plants?

  • #21
I've already put in my two cents: Sitting water is bad. Standing water is also bad. Where's the middle ground? :D
That's four cents, and we still can't get any bubblegum! Where's BioZest when you need him?
 
  • #22
As has been said, you have to do what is best for you and your area. Experimentation and experience is key here.

That said, my area is very similar to the OPs area, as we are relatively close to each other. My recommendation for our area is the tray method with bottom holes, but I imagine a bog with a side hole drilled would be fine. The latter would probably just lead to more frequent repotting (yearly, I suppose) and a harder to determine water level.
 
  • #23
I keep all of my bog plants in large, square pots in a white, plastic potter on my balcony. The potter has two drainage holes with plastic stoppers that I can take out if I want to change the water. As was said earlier, the plants need to be kept in water, but completely stagnant water is never a great option. The ability to flush the water with ease also allows me to fertilize the plants without worry.
 
  • #24
Peter D'Amato said minibogs should be in undrained containers.

So is the conventional wisdom contra to what he said?

No, conventional wisdom is not contra to what he said..
conventional wisdom agrees with him, for the most part..
Some people's personal opinions might be contra! ;) (which is fine..)
but that isn't the same thing..

There are two good methods for growing sarracenia and VFT's.

1. Tray method.
2. "Minibog" method..

(well ok..a third method too, but not too many people do this one..the "big in-ground bog" method)
But for the purposes of this thread, we are really only talking about methods 1 and 2.
I use both, both work very well..

Smaller pots are best for "the tray method"..
I use "the tray method" with 4" to 8" wide pots..I just went out and took some new photos to use as demos:

june2013-1-L.jpg


In this pic (above) the pots in the foreground are 4" pots, the two on the left are 8" pots that are only 4" tall..
(I like those shallower pots..they are called "bulb pots" I think..)
those are all "tray method" pots..sitting in a tray of water.
I have two different types of water trays in use, "shallow" and "deep"..I prefer shallow..
I think I got some of the "deep" ones only because I couldnt find the shallower ones that one day at the garden center when I went looking for new trays! ;)

The "deep" trays in the front are unusually full of water, usually they arent that full, all the way to the top.
they are "full to the top" today only because we got some heavy rain yesterday, and the rain filled the
trays to the top..I dont bother to dump any water out when that happens, but when im filling them myself, I don't fill them up that high..
only about half-full for the deep trays..(the "shallow" trays, being only about 1" deep, get filled to the top.)

The largest pot in that photo is a "mini-bog"..It is undrained on the bottom, no tray, it has a drain hole drilled
about 3" down from the "media surface"..

june2013-2-L.jpg


Closer to the VFT minibog..the green chicken wire is to prevent birds from stealing the spagnum top-dressing
and making a mess..

june2013-3-L.jpg


Here (above) is the drain on the back of the mini-bog..I have three bogs of this type, each has one drain tube..

june2013-5-L.jpg


The "fancy urn" (its really just plastic! ;) is another mini-bog..it also has a drain hole drilled in the back 2 or 3" below
the surface of the media..but just a hole, no drain tube..

june2013-4-L.jpg


And a third mini-bog style, the one that looks like a "half barrel"..(also just a plastic pot! ;)
same drain hole arrangement 2" down from the top, but no drain on the bottom..

I dont pay any attention to keeping any sort of exact water level in the trays, or in the bogs..
If it hasn't rained in awhile, and I need to water manually, I wait until the shallower trays go almost dry,
then I top off the whole collection all at once..top-off all the trays (those "deep" trays I only fill up about half-way)
and I fill the mini-bogs until water drains out the holes..

I figure that in nature, the water level fluctuates all the time, so it does for my plants too! ;)
as long as there is *some* water in the trays, they are fine..
the important thing is that the trays don't dry out completely..but other than that, I don't pay any attention
to the exact level..

For the mini-bogs, I have never bothered with any way to "monitor" the water level..I have seen some bogs
where people install a "viewing tube" or other such device, so you can actually see the water level..
thats fine if you want to do that..nothing wrong with it..but IMO its completely unnecessary..
The smaller pots in the trays will *always* dry out before the mini-bogs! So when the trays are almost dry
(and the water in the trays is right out in the open and visible) I know to add water to everything, including the bogs..
the bogs are never even close to going dry that way..

Yes, its true that the bogs, having no drain on the bottom, might go "stagnant" faster than pots in trays..
this can be a concern! but..that problem is easily solved as well..
I repot all my plants, both "tray method" pots and minibogs alike, every 2nd year..
They all go two full seasons between repotting..this works fine for me!
I *have* seen noticeable degrading in plant health in minibogs after three years!
and I even let one go four years once..that is definitely too long!
but two years is, IMO, a "safe" repotting schedule..I haven't had any problems with 2 year repottings..

So thats I grow my plants! :)
19 years this season..

One other thing about my photos..my "growing area" is a bit messier than I would like! ;)
the on-going battle against squirrels and birds continues..
Im going to have a new post about all that in a few days..

thanks,
Scot
 
  • #26
Welcome to TF!
 
  • #27
Scot's the bomb with one helluva post! I like everything he said, and agree with it.

It is good to hear that mini-bogs can go two years. I wasn't sure when I mentioned potential yearly repottings. Thanks for that tidbit.
 
  • #29
And I've bookmarked his link.

Got through most of it yesterday, but I intend to finish it. I love to read journals people create, so I can see what worked for them, and what didn't.
 
  • #30
I keep my Sarracenias in a plastic tub, outside. This way, when it rains hard, they can take they excess water level. My VFT's I try to keep in Sterilite containers, the ones with holes along the perimeter. This way the excess rain water drains out the holes.
 
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