what to plant in a bog

[tom213]

hi all,

i will post pictures this evening, what i am planning is to build a bog that will be filled from the outflow of my filter and will then trickle back into the pond. this is only because i was stupid in building and built too close to a wall so now i cannot access that side easily so im just going to write it off. i was wondering what sort of plants would be suitable for life like this and what sort of substrate would be best?

many thanks.

tom

 

[addy1]

My substrate is pea gravel, penny wart, creeping jenny, obedience plant, water willow, bog bean, lots of plants will do well.
Full sun or shade makes a difference.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

In my bog I have Blue Flag Iris, Horsetail, Globeflower, Corkscrew Rush, Arrow Arum, etc.

 

[peter hillman]

In my bog I have Blue Flag Iris, Horsetail, Globeflower, Corkscrew Rush, Arrow Arum, etc.

Is your horsetail spreading? I got that stuff coming up all over the yard. Blue flag is beautiful!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Is your horsetail spreading? I got that stuff coming up all over the yard. Blue flag is beautiful!

It spreads slowly. Maybe about two feet from where I planted it in Spring of last year. It stays in the bog though, hasn't jumped out yet. if it starts to grow out it'll be easy to pull. There are many different types of horsetail too, so you may have another kind. Field Horsetail in particular is known for spreading aggressively.

 

[Mmathis]

I'm still experimenting, but have a question..... Are you saying that the water to feed your bog will already be filtered.....or maybe I took that wrong? Will it have already gone through bio and mechanical filtration, or just mechanical?

 

[tom213]

it will of only gone through mechanical filtration as thats all i have at the minute, it will be shaded for around half the day

thanks for your suggestions i will be looking in to some

 

[addy1]

If you have shade loving plants try them, hostas do fine in bogs. Experiment, some plants surprise you.

 

[Nepen]

some plants I got do fine and some doesnt. it just depend on your bog. I have about 1 inch of water flowing above gravel throughout the bog and some plants just doesnt like it.

Chameleon plant is doing great though.

 

[Lisak1]

Definitely gravel is your best bet for substrate. And experiment with plants! Bogs are fun! Any kind of rushes, reeds, cattails, or sedges will work as will most irises. But you'd be surprised - I've grown impatiens, marigolds, tomatoes, hostas, bacopas, petunias... whatever you have, try it. The worst that can happen is it won't grow. And then you've learned something and you move on!

 

[Mmathis]

it will of only gone through mechanical filtration as thats all i have at the minute, it will be shaded for around half the day

thanks for your suggestions i will be looking in to some

Good! The bog needs the nutrients that come from the water, so water that feeds into a bog can have mech. filtration, but you lose those nutrients (IOW, toxins to the fish) if you first feed it through bio filtration.

 

[HARO]

Hate to sound like I'm criticising, but a bio-filter turns ammonia into nitrite, and nitrite into nitrate. Only two things can get rid of nitrate, water CHANGES, (not simply adding water), and plants that use the nitrate as fertilizer. Running your water through a bio-filter, therefore, should not starve your plants.
John

 

[tom213]

hi sorry for the delay in replying,

in the uk we tend to have mild winters so would planting this time of year be much of a problem?

can it be any type of gravel or would pea be best?

so i can run bio filter before bog or would it just be unnecessary?

sorry to add more questions than gets answered and thanks for your continued help

tom

 

[Lisak1]

Hmmm... Good question. This is the time of year (in zone 5) we plant perennials. As long as they have a chance to start growing before they die back, they are fine. So the same may be true for your bog plants. I guess I would consider how much more of a growing season you have and then give it a try. Hardy plants like rushes and irises would be fine in any case so those would be my first choice.

 

[tbendl]

I planted a bunch of stuff in my new bog this time last year and it all survived. I also have mild winters here so I wouldn't think it will be a problem. If your talking about the bog I recommend pea gravel just because of the softer edges. Other gravels have sharp edges and could potentially cut your liner. Also I think pea gravel is smaller, allowing more surface area to grow bacteria and allowing water to flow more freely.
Now as a disclaimer, this is my thoughts on the subject. Maybe others have used regular gravel without issue.
As far as running a bio filter before going into the bog, don't do it. The bog becomes your bio filter and needs the "stuff" (technical term) coming out of the water to feed the plants.
I hope that helps.