Bog garden

[Richard Holub]

I am planning on setting up a bog garden this summer and have a question
in ref. to liners. After doing some reading I noticed that some people
recommend digging the whole and lining it up with a cheap liner, then
making holes in the bottom for slow drainage. I plan on eventually
building a pond for fish alongside the bog garden. The bog garden I
plan to use as a filter. Size of bog ~10'W x 20'L x 18"D

1. I plan on using a good quality liner with some type of pvc piping at
the bottom to help distribute the incoming water from the future pond.
I want to use this pipe system to help me partially drain the bog for
the winter. Is it a good idea to drain the bog?

2. If I do not poke holes in the bottom of the liner, will the bog
garden begin to putrefy? THe bog garden will probably stand alone for a
couple of years until I get time to build my pond.

Thank you in advance for any assistance.

[Sam Hopkins]

Your bog garden will start to stink at the the depth of where there is water
and no oxygen (regardless of whether or not you poke holes). However, if
there's no O2 getting to it then it won't stink because obviosuly there's no
air getting to it. Once you dig it up it might stink for a day or two but
that's about it.

Sam


"Richard Holub" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> I am planning on setting up a bog garden this summer and have a question
> in ref. to liners. After doing some reading I noticed that some people
> recommend digging the whole and lining it up with a cheap liner, then
> making holes in the bottom for slow drainage. I plan on eventually
> building a pond for fish alongside the bog garden. The bog garden I
> plan to use as a filter. Size of bog ~10'W x 20'L x 18"D
>
> 1. I plan on using a good quality liner with some type of pvc piping at
> the bottom to help distribute the incoming water from the future pond.
> I want to use this pipe system to help me partially drain the bog for
> the winter. Is it a good idea to drain the bog?
>
> 2. If I do not poke holes in the bottom of the liner, will the bog
> garden begin to putrefy? THe bog garden will probably stand alone for a
> couple of years until I get time to build my pond.
>
> Thank you in advance for any assistance.
>

[Ka30P]

A bog in nature is fairly quiet. The water stays there and turns acid from the
rotting plants which the bog plants love.

A marsh works to filter the water, it gets 'cleaned' as it works its way down.

The problem with nature's ponds and bogs and marshes is that they are made to
fill in. This recycling makes for nice fertile soil.

I would build your bog/plant filter with a mind to keeping it from clogging up
and filling up with plants.

Believe me I have lots of experience with this problem. Bog one filled in with
plants and the water that I was decanting into it started backing up and
heading the wrong direction.

Bog two, which is free standing and not a filter is filling up with plants too
and they are darn hard to weed.

Were I to do this all again I would build a plant filter with an eye to
maintenance with bottom drains, plant baskets full of pea gravel (I think),
yearly plant dividing and getting that gravel cleaned out.

My best plant filter is the raft of water hyacinths that I float in the top of
my 150 gallon rubbermaid stock tank that is hidden at the back of my waterfall.
The water goes out over a wide waterfall that grows in with grasses and
watercress and needs to be weeded 2 to 3 times a year.




kathy :-)
<A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/">Once upon a pond</A>

[RichToyBox]

I think it depends on the type of bog plants that you are growing.
http://www.pitcherplant.com/ specializes in pitcher plants and other
carnivorous plants. The marshes and bogs are very low in nitrogen and very
acid, therefore they recommend the cheap liner with holes in the bottom.
This type of bog is good near the pond for some of the exotic plants, but
not recommended as a plant filter system. For plant filter systems, with
water flowing from the pond, you would want the same good liner that you
would want for the pond.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


"Richard Holub" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> I am planning on setting up a bog garden this summer and have a question
> in ref. to liners. After doing some reading I noticed that some people
> recommend digging the whole and lining it up with a cheap liner, then
> making holes in the bottom for slow drainage. I plan on eventually
> building a pond for fish alongside the bog garden. The bog garden I
> plan to use as a filter. Size of bog ~10'W x 20'L x 18"D
>
> 1. I plan on using a good quality liner with some type of pvc piping at
> the bottom to help distribute the incoming water from the future pond.
> I want to use this pipe system to help me partially drain the bog for
> the winter. Is it a good idea to drain the bog?
>
> 2. If I do not poke holes in the bottom of the liner, will the bog
> garden begin to putrefy? THe bog garden will probably stand alone for a
> couple of years until I get time to build my pond.
>
> Thank you in advance for any assistance.
>

[Richard Holub]

OK Sam,

Are you saying that the bog garden is going to stink while I stand next
to it or only if I disturbe the bottom?

Rich

Sam Hopkins wrote:
> Your bog garden will start to stink at the the depth of where there is water
> and no oxygen (regardless of whether or not you poke holes). However, if
> there's no O2 getting to it then it won't stink because obviosuly there's no
> air getting to it. Once you dig it up it might stink for a day or two but
> that's about it.
>
> Sam
>
>
> "Richard Holub" > wrote in message
> hlink.net...
>
>>I am planning on setting up a bog garden this summer and have a question
>>in ref. to liners. After doing some reading I noticed that some people
>>recommend digging the whole and lining it up with a cheap liner, then
>>making holes in the bottom for slow drainage. I plan on eventually
>>building a pond for fish alongside the bog garden. The bog garden I
>>plan to use as a filter. Size of bog ~10'W x 20'L x 18"D
>>
>>1. I plan on using a good quality liner with some type of pvc piping at
>>the bottom to help distribute the incoming water from the future pond.
>>I want to use this pipe system to help me partially drain the bog for
>>the winter. Is it a good idea to drain the bog?
>>
>>2. If I do not poke holes in the bottom of the liner, will the bog
>>garden begin to putrefy? THe bog garden will probably stand alone for a
>>couple of years until I get time to build my pond.
>>
>>Thank you in advance for any assistance.
>>
>
>
>

[Richard Holub]

Hi RIch,

I think I am going to go with filling in my bog trench with 3/8" gravel
and plant bog plants in containers for the first time. To see what
goes! Along the edge of the bog I will probably build at a 45 or 20
deg. incline and fill with garden soil (mostly clayish soil). Here I
will plant "moisture" loving plants and see how it takes.

Rich Holub

RichToyBox wrote:

> I think it depends on the type of bog plants that you are growing.
> http://www.pitcherplant.com/ specializes in pitcher plants and other
> carnivorous plants. The marshes and bogs are very low in nitrogen and very
> acid, therefore they recommend the cheap liner with holes in the bottom.
> This type of bog is good near the pond for some of the exotic plants, but
> not recommended as a plant filter system. For plant filter systems, with
> water flowing from the pond, you would want the same good liner that you
> would want for the pond.

[Richard Holub]

Hi Kathy,

Any suggestions on the idea of draining the bog for the winter?

Rich Holub

Ka30P wrote:

> A bog in nature is fairly quiet. The water stays there and turns acid from the
> rotting plants which the bog plants love.
>
> A marsh works to filter the water, it gets 'cleaned' as it works its way down.
>
> The problem with nature's ponds and bogs and marshes is that they are made to
> fill in. This recycling makes for nice fertile soil.
>
> I would build your bog/plant filter with a mind to keeping it from clogging up
> and filling up with plants.
>
> Believe me I have lots of experience with this problem. Bog one filled in with
> plants and the water that I was decanting into it started backing up and
> heading the wrong direction.
>
> Bog two, which is free standing and not a filter is filling up with plants too
> and they are darn hard to weed.
>
> Were I to do this all again I would build a plant filter with an eye to
> maintenance with bottom drains, plant baskets full of pea gravel (I think),
> yearly plant dividing and getting that gravel cleaned out.
>
> My best plant filter is the raft of water hyacinths that I float in the top of
> my 150 gallon rubbermaid stock tank that is hidden at the back of my waterfall.
> The water goes out over a wide waterfall that grows in with grasses and
> watercress and needs to be weeded 2 to 3 times a year.
>
>
>
>
> kathy :-)
> <A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/">Once upon a pond</A>

[Ka30P]

Rich wrote
>>Any suggestions on the idea of draining the bog for the winter?<<

If I were to do it all over again ;-)
I'd build the thing above ground and run it as a plant filter. I'd build
several bottom drains into it and have it set up to have a hose or some kind of
way to drain it off into flower beds, the base of shrubs or trees.

Our bog is set up as a place for aquatic insects (mosquitoes need not apply)
and frogs to breed.
We don't drain our bog.
I let the aquatic insect larvae hang out over the winter in the muck ;-)
The tree frogs overwinter in leaf litter and other such places.
This fall I sent the two teenage boys into the bog and they tried to weed as
many plants out of it as they could get.
Parrots feather and penneywort were the worst offenders.
This spring I'll try and get as many leaves out
as I can before the frogs show up.


kathy :-)
<A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/">Once upon a pond</A>

[Offbreed]

Richard Holub wrote:

> OK Sam,
>
> Are you saying that the bog garden is going to stink while I stand next
> to it or only if I disturbe the bottom?

I'm not Sam, but I do live in the middle of assorted bogs.

They have a slight, but recognisable odor (very important to remember
when walking around in the dark), whether it is "bad" or not depends
on you.

Stir it up, and few will think it does not stink. From a long ways
off. One of the products is hydrogen sulfide, not a problem at those
concentrations, but it's easy to smell.

[Sam Hopkins]

If you build a small bog for your pond it's not going to stink.Walk by some
cattails and see if it stinks. It most likely won't. Yank out a few cattails
and you'll see that it'll start to stink though.

I built a large wetland/bog area (1.5 acres). It doesn't stink unless I'm
down in it pulling stuff up for research purposes.

Sam


"Richard Holub" > wrote in message
link.net...
> OK Sam,
>
> Are you saying that the bog garden is going to stink while I stand next
> to it or only if I disturbe the bottom?
>
> Rich
>
> Sam Hopkins wrote:
> > Your bog garden will start to stink at the the depth of where there is
water
> > and no oxygen (regardless of whether or not you poke holes). However, if
> > there's no O2 getting to it then it won't stink because obviosuly
there's no
> > air getting to it. Once you dig it up it might stink for a day or two
but
> > that's about it.
> >
> > Sam
> >
> >
> > "Richard Holub" > wrote in message
> > hlink.net...
> >
> >>I am planning on setting up a bog garden this summer and have a question
> >>in ref. to liners. After doing some reading I noticed that some people
> >>recommend digging the whole and lining it up with a cheap liner, then
> >>making holes in the bottom for slow drainage. I plan on eventually
> >>building a pond for fish alongside the bog garden. The bog garden I
> >>plan to use as a filter. Size of bog ~10'W x 20'L x 18"D
> >>
> >>1. I plan on using a good quality liner with some type of pvc piping at
> >>the bottom to help distribute the incoming water from the future pond.
> >>I want to use this pipe system to help me partially drain the bog for
> >>the winter. Is it a good idea to drain the bog?
> >>
> >>2. If I do not poke holes in the bottom of the liner, will the bog
> >>garden begin to putrefy? THe bog garden will probably stand alone for a
> >>couple of years until I get time to build my pond.
> >>
> >>Thank you in advance for any assistance.
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>

[Richard Holub]

Sam Hopkins wrote:
> If you build a small bog for your pond it's not going to stink.Walk by some
> cattails and see if it stinks. It most likely won't. Yank out a few cattails
> and you'll see that it'll start to stink though.
>
> I built a large wetland/bog area (1.5 acres). It doesn't stink unless I'm
> down in it pulling stuff up for research purposes.
>
> Sam
>
>
Sam,

Do you have a high water table on your bog land or did you have to close
it in somehow to retain the water. I was thinking on excavating my bog
to 18"D and filling most of the area with 3/8" stone so that I would
have it easier to pull thin out the area of unwanted plants. Perhapps I
should go a little deeper.

Rich Holub

[john]

Richard Holub wrote:
> I am planning on setting up a bog garden this summer and have a question
> in ref. to liners. After doing some reading I noticed that some people
> recommend digging the whole and lining it up with a cheap liner, then
> making holes in the bottom for slow drainage. I plan on eventually
> building a pond for fish alongside the bog garden. The bog garden I
> plan to use as a filter. Size of bog ~10'W x 20'L x 18"D
>
>
> Thank you in advance for any assistance.
>
Richard

dont poke holes I have an 25x30x12 bog in the summer i pump water
through it no piping like you described, just dump it in at the far end
then it flows back through the plants to the Koi pond.
during the winter all pumps are shut off and it just sits there and
freezes comes back every spring and does not putryfy

John Rutz

see my pond at http://www.fuerjefe.com

[Sam Hopkins]

I have outflow from a pond I built directed towards the bog land. The water
hits the bog, spreads out and then refunnels at the other side and continues
on to the community creek.


"Richard Holub" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
>
>
> Sam Hopkins wrote:
> > If you build a small bog for your pond it's not going to stink.Walk by
some
> > cattails and see if it stinks. It most likely won't. Yank out a few
cattails
> > and you'll see that it'll start to stink though.
> >
> > I built a large wetland/bog area (1.5 acres). It doesn't stink unless
I'm
> > down in it pulling stuff up for research purposes.
> >
> > Sam
> >
> >
> Sam,
>
> Do you have a high water table on your bog land or did you have to close
> it in somehow to retain the water. I was thinking on excavating my bog
> to 18"D and filling most of the area with 3/8" stone so that I would
> have it easier to pull thin out the area of unwanted plants. Perhapps I
> should go a little deeper.
>
> Rich Holub
>

[Richard Holub]

John,

How about your plants? Do they freeze over? What zone are you at?
What type of plants do you have?

Rich Holub

john wrote:
>
>
> Richard Holub wrote:
>
>> I am planning on setting up a bog garden this summer and have a
>> question in ref. to liners. After doing some reading I noticed that
>> some people recommend digging the whole and lining it up with a cheap
>> liner, then making holes in the bottom for slow drainage. I plan on
>> eventually building a pond for fish alongside the bog garden. The bog
>> garden I plan to use as a filter. Size of bog ~10'W x 20'L x 18"D
>>
>>
>> Thank you in advance for any assistance.
>>
> Richard
>
> dont poke holes I have an 25x30x12 bog in the summer i pump water
> through it no piping like you described, just dump it in at the far end
> then it flows back through the plants to the Koi pond.
> during the winter all pumps are shut off and it just sits there and
> freezes comes back every spring and does not putryfy
>
> John Rutz
>
> see my pond at http://www.fuerjefe.com
>

[john]

Richard Holub wrote:
> John,
>
> How about your plants? Do they freeze over? What zone are you at? What
> type of plants do you have?
>
> Rich Holub
>
yes they freeze, i'm in usda zone 5
I have rush, water celery, cattails, Iris and louisiana iris, arowhead,
and a few i dont know what they are.
point is to get plants that are natural in your zone

>>
>> John Rutz
>>
>> see my pond at http://www.fuerjefe.com
>>
>