FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

bisnicks' Mini-bog container build

So recently I decided I wanted to build my own mini-bog container garden. After scouring through these forums, I finally decided on how I would be building it. My mini-bog isn't original at all, but a fusion between two of my favorite mini-bogs I have seen on this forum.

BradR's Tub of Flytraps:
http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/tub-o ... 10940.html

Naja002's Planter:
http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/the-p ... 14508.html


Picture of the result:



Video of the result:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO-RNS4YBN0

(Disclaimer: Plants do not look the best due to an infestation of mealybugs I had a few months back. Luckily they all seem to be gone (thanks orthene), but they did do a number on some of my plants.)

Supplies:

Container for Bog Garden: [Whiskey Barrel at Home Depot]http://www.homedepot.com/p/Southern-Pat ... cZFCuuE6d0
1/2" PVC pipe, 90º elbow, t-connector, trap adapter, valve
PVC glue
Silicon caulking
White spray paint (optional)
Gallon Jug with cap
Sphagnum peat moss (CP safe)
Silica Sand
Aquarium gravel (Soaked in CP safe water for a few days)



The Build:

• First, I painted the container white to help deflect heat from the container.
• Second, I drilled a hole (around 1/2" I believe) in the side of the container for where my water outlet/ water table leveler goes.
• Third, I constructed the water outlet/ water table leveler http://i.imgur.com/zE8kdEj.jpg. It's just made out of some 1/2" PVC, elbows, valve, t-fitting, and a screw on end. All parts can be found easily at Home Depot. This will let me adjust how much water is in the barrel. If it's going to be hot, I can actually slip in longer PVC pipes into the top of the t-fitting and it raises the water level to whatever length the pipe is. For all the other pipes, you'll want to go ahead and glue them together. The valve allows me to also drain the bog. I like doing this when I water the bog garden so that the old water drains out and the new water eventually trickles to the bottom. Keeps things from getting to stagnant.
• Fourth, I placed the water outlet/ water table leveler in the hole, tightened it, placed the elbow on the end and turned it so that it faced downward to prevent soil from clogging the pipes. I then added silicon caulking around the hole in the barrel to make it water tight.
• Fifth, I added some rinsed gravel (soaked in reverse osmosis water) around the downward facing elbow to help act as a filter. I then started adding pool filter sand (silica sand) for the bottom layer of the bog. This will allow for good drainage when I need it.
  
  
• Sixth, I placed an empty plastic gallon jug in the center on top of my sand layer. I drilled small holes in the jug and added some sand inside of it to keep it in place.
  
  
• Seventh, I drilled out the cap of the plastic gallon jug and placed a 1/2" PVC pipe (with holes drilled through the sides) through the hole of the cap and screwed it in to my plastic gallon jug. This will allow me to directly raise the water table without disturbing the top layer. It also provides air to the roots of the plants.
• Eighth, I added another layer or two of sand around the jug and then I mixed a peat/ silica sand/ pine needle mix and filled it up the rest of the way.
  
  

Result:

Nice garden! I also made a drosera jungle in a tray, maybe I'll be posting it later

Nice!

That self-watering gallon jug is really clever! If you don't mind, I'll do the same thing!

PlantMan wrote:That self-watering gallon jug is really clever! If you don't mind, I'll do the same thing!

Go for it! I'd love to see your rendition!

Nice job, i just made a all sarracenia bog garden

bisnicks wrote:

PlantMan wrote:That self-watering gallon jug is really clever! If you don't mind, I'll do the same thing!

Go for it! I'd love to see your rendition!

Why the small tube besides the red valve ?

roarke wrote:Why the small tube besides the red valve ?

That's for the level of water! Ingenious really. You can probably add to its height to bump up the water table if you're going on vacation or it gets real hot out & your water is evaporating more quickly. Wicked smaht as they say here in Bahstin

brn_thmbs wrote:

roarke wrote:Why the small tube besides the red valve ?

That's for the level of water! Ingenious really. You can probably add to its height to bump up the water table if you're going on vacation or it gets real hot out & your water is evaporating more quickly. Wicked smaht as they say here in Bahstin

That's correct! It wasn't my idea, I just adapted it to my setup!

Hey there! Sorry to bump up an old thread, but I was wondering if you had an approximate price range all of this would cost? I think its an amazing idea, and would love to create my own or 5 lol

I built this design for my sarrs and vft's and it is wonderful. My cost to build it was around $60.
The barrel from Lowe's $13
The bale of peat from a greenhouse nursery $15
A bag of black gold perlite $8
The sand $5
The PVC pipes and adapters, and PVC cement under $20
Good growing....

Thank you very much!

Wouldn't the weight of the wet media end up crushing the bottle being used a a reservoir? Particularly as the peat compacts over time?

hollyhock wrote:I built this design for my sarrs and vft's and it is wonderful. My cost to build it was around $60.
The barrel from Lowe's $13
The bale of peat from a greenhouse nursery $15
A bag of black gold perlite $8
The sand $5
The PVC pipes and adapters, and PVC cement under $20
Good growing....

Do you have a link to said barrel? I checked today on my way home and the wooden ones are $30+

I believe it was the resin cast version of the wooden one, I just saw one at ace hardware
yesterday!