FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I'm getting ready to repot about a dozen small VFTs into a large undrained planter. I've had a single VFT in it for several months and it thrived but I'm wondering if an undrained container is going to cause rot problems. All advice appreciated, thanks!

A concern (for me) would be that if for some reason it got too wet...how could you drain it?

How will you monitor the water level...via the water well in the center? (Asking because I'm wondering how you're planning to use the pot in the center. ).

Having said the above... It sounds like you're shooting to create a bog of sorts...something I have wondered about doing, myself. I've seen lots of people growing plants like this, but it seems the flytraps always are "higher ground" plants in non-draining planters with the sundews and pitchers keeping their feet wet. Anyhow, I'm subscribing!

Yes, it's a bog of sorts. It's a layered media; lava rock on the bottom, a couple of inches of LFSM, and peat Perlite mix. I put water in the center pot up to about 3" then allow it to go dry for a day before adding more. In the AZ summer the large surface area evaporates the water rather quickly, I have to add more every 2-3 days. It's easy to stick a finger down into the peat to see how wet it is. When the summer monsoons come in I've occasionally had to move it under cover so it doesn't get completely filled, but letting it get top-watered once in while didn't seem to harm anything.
I'm going to be replacing the year-old media in the pot before putting in the plants so I'll be able to see if there were any issues with anaerobic bacteria growing in there.
This is a scaled-down version of a Brooklyn Botanical Gardens design. I've seen similar designs online, but using terra cotta pots.

I think some folks drill a hole an inch or so from the bottom of the pot / planter (through the side). So that if water does get that high from the bottom it drains out. Perhaps a piece of screen or even fabric would allow the water to pass, but keep the substrate in.

In the planter I built, the lava rock is about an inch in height, topped with the lfsm. Drilling holes at the 3"-4" position would work, and it wouldn't be difficult to screen in the peat/Perlite mix. Good idea.

Supercazzola wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 12:50 am Perhaps a piece of screen or even fabric would allow the water to pass, but keep the substrate in.

My trick: Put a blob of sphagnum moss over the hole. It acts like a filter but still lets the water drain through. I do this with the drain holes in the bottom of my pots, stops the soil from washing out.

The pot looks good but if there is not a drainage hole how can you flush away any minerals that can build up over time?

I can understand the desire to create a "bog scene". The problem is that a container that will hold grow mix (and plants) and does not allow excess water to drain out is looking to become a flooded mess if it's placed outdoors. Inside with careful watering it might work out. If I wanted to create a bog scene, which I hope to do this summer, I would use a container with holes drilled in the side an inch or two above the bottom (as mentioned above) to plant into. I would then sit this container into a larger but shallower container. The shallower container would act as the water tray. If left outside and a rain comes the water level can't get any higher than the outer tray. There's no need for the center pot being as the water level can be monitored in the water tray. I'm thinking you could also grow sphagnum moss, utricularia, etc., in the water tray...maybe even some guppies or mosquito fish.

Thanks to all for the input. I plan to keep the center pot as it allows for bottom-up watering, avoiding soil compacting. I will drill some 1/4" around the planter about 4" from the bottom to allow drainage in the event I'm not at home when a summer monsoon blows in. The plants got caught in a fierce downpour last year and got completely pounded. It took the Capes a month to recover.

Keep us posted on how it goes, Gary. Be sure to cover the holes with some type of screening. I like to use weed barrier fabric...it's kind of a spun fiber material, not a "mesh" like screen wire...it works great. You can buy a lifetime supply for a few dollars...I was fortunate my wife had some left over from a garden project so I "appropriated" it for my use.

Do remember that you're going to have an anaerobic layer down in that ~4" bottom layer where water will not pass through but rather sit stagnant. I'm no expert...it might or might not matter. Even though top watering can cause soil compaction it also carries oxygen down into the soil and helps to flush out minerals, baddies, whatever, too. All of my pots have holes drilled in the sides ride at the bottom and also in the bottom so I can completely drain them if I want to...and also so I can adjust the water level inside the pots as I wish by raising or lowering the water level in the trays.

Just throwing this at you for thought. Don't ya just love it when somebody thinks they know what they're talking about but yet has never done what you're talking about doing?!!!

Best wishes!!!!

Gary,

I did an exact set up like yours only bigger this last spring/summer. Kept it outside in full sun the whole season without any issues. I used a MacCourt (9 Gallon) pond liner with a drainable pot in the center. Also did about a 1" lava rock base. Then filled with 50/50 soil mix of peat and perlite. I had several Flytraps and sarracenias. Plants thrived in it. I made sure I had several holes drilled just below the top of the liner. If it rained and the entire thing filled with water I just scooped out most of the water in the inner pot. Maintained a good balance of soil moisture. The only annoying thing was the damn perlite always works itself to the top of the soil. Other than that you should have no issues at all.

Thanks again for the advice, all. I actually did a "test run" with this bog last year. I put only one VFT in it to see if there were any issues, and it grew big and healthy. I think allowing the reservoir to go dry occasionally helps with avoiding anaerobic bugs. The center pot actually sits on the bottom of the planter so when it's dry the lava rock is getting air into the bottom layer. I checked the moisture in the peat by sticking my finger down to the rock layer to be sure that I wasn't drowning the roots. When I removed the original peat moss/LFSM from the planter I didn't notice any foul odors or rot.
This planter has curved sides and seems to work well for VFTs and sundews but probably not for Sarrs, its too shallow for those big root systems.
I'll update this thread with progress pics after it goes out in the sun. Can't wait see how those guys like their new home!

davinstewart wrote: ↑Sun Jan 22, 2023 10:00 pm Why do you want an undrained container? They're easier to grow in a container with drainage sitting in a watering tray.

The undrained aspect of this seems like you're just asking for trouble.

It's actually pretty convenient for growing several plants in one container. I can water all of them at once. When I repotted the VFTs I was careful to inspect the year-old grow mix for rot, compaction etc and found no issues. Time will tell the tale, as they say, but I was happy with the results from last season.