Starting a bog garden

[pgkraus]

I'm planning on starting a bog garden for carnivorous plants (mostly Sarracenias) in my yard but I had a few questions before I set it up and start buying plants. Several tutorials I found said to perforate the liner at the bottom and several said to leave it intact. Some tutorials also said to put gravel at the bottom then a peat and perlite mixture and some said to just use peat and no gravel or perlite. What would you recommend for a bog garden (keep in mind I live in zone 6)?
Thank you!

 

[Cthulhu138]

I'm on the line of Zones 5 and 6. I have several bogs, some of them have been going for almost 15 years. I don't perforate the liners. I fill it with peat only until the top 6" or so which I mix with silica sand. I also make sure to mound the media a few inches about the rim of the bog. The media will settle over time but,you still want it raised slightly above ground level to prevent any unwanted long term flooding.

 

[pgkraus]

I'm on the line of Zones 5 and 6. I have several bogs, some of them have been going for almost 15 years. I don't perforate the liners. I fill it with peat only until the top 6" or so which I mix with silica sand. I also make sure to mound the media a few inches about the rim of the bog. The media will settle over time but,you still want it raised slightly above ground level to prevent any unwanted long term flooding.

Thank you so much for your reply! Another thing I forgot to ask is how deep did you dig your bog? I've read anywhere between 10 inches and 2 feet.

 

[Cthulhu138]

As deep as you can. I have some that are only 10" and some that are 3' deep. The more shallow the bog, the more you will have to water it in summer unless you live in an area with very rainy summers. I'd go 2' if you can.

 

[pgkraus]

Thanks so much!

 

[Cthulhu138]

No problem, good luck with the bog. We expect to see some photos when it's done !

 

[Nevermore]

I have just filled my with peat, perlite, and pine needles. I do perforate the sides a few inches from the top. Before doing this, my 18inch deep bog would flood in the spring rains to the very top. I also actually pull down a fold on the side of the liner in the winter so that it will drain the top 6 inches of media to keep it much drier.

If you are going to have a completely in-ground bog?

Cthulhu... question... how often to you change out your media?

 

[Cthulhu138]

I never change my media.

 

[Nevermore]

Without any draining... haven't you gotten some aerobic slug forming at the bottom?

 

[Cthulhu138]

Nope. All is good. As I said, some of them are approaching 15 years and still going strong.