Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 11:04:30 EDT From: MCATALANI@aol.com To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2496$foo@default> Subject: CP Bogs
<< Hi All,
I have another bog question. Maybe I wasn't paying close attention but I
don't remember seeing a discussion if most of the small cp bogs were set
into
the ground or were raised above the ground. If the bog is above ground how
does freezing affect the plants? Ed>>
I currently use both in ground and above ground bogs. The above ground bogs
are almost always plastic kids pools. Whether or not you can use above
ground bogs definitely depends on where you live, and how big the above
ground bog is. Plants can survive hard winters in an above ground bog more
easily if it is big and deep. If you live where the winters are harsh,
mulching the bog during winter will help, as well as protecting the bog from
strong cold winds, which can easily keep the bog frozen solid. My bogs can be
frozen solid for a couple of weeks in February, with no ill effects
whatsoever. But by April, we see no snow cover or hard freezes. VFT's do not
like extended snow cover when it starts its active growing season, as it
usually causes it to rot. I've had problems in the past keeping S. alata
flowers, although the plant has always survived. If the bog soil is on the
dry side during dormancy, My S. alatas can start to flower in very late
January. Our January's here can be relatively warm (60 degrees farenheit).
The dark soil of the peat moss in the bogs can allow the soil temps to heat
up enough to cause the growth points of S. alata to open up and start sending
up flowers. If we encounter a freeze after the growth points of S. alata
open, the flowers will rot, even though the rest of the plant is unharmed. I
keep the soil waterlogged during this time to keep the soil cooler, which
keeps the plants in dormancy longer. Keeping an above ground bog waterlogged
during dormancy works for me here, but may not if you live where the winters
are prolonged and very harsh. I could see a whiskey barrel bog busting apart
at the seams if it contains a lot of water and gets hit with a hard freeze.
Michael Catalani
Memphis, TN USA
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