Sm med lg] Huge golden foliage on a very striking plant.Ĭomes up very late in the Spring and although it will rarely flower in That should be no problem here in rainy Seattle! I took most of these photos before I watered the plants, but this is about how damp the soil should be.Acanthus mollis 'New Zealand Gold' [Photo: The soil should always be wet to simulate the bog environment. Distilled water works in a pinch, but they prefer rain water.įill the bowl all the way to the top with water.
The type of water you use in this carnivorous bog planter is really important! DO NOT use tap water, which contains chlorine and other additives that will kill your plants over time. That just means it's well fed! Water to the top It senses movement and snaps shut when its prey tries to escape! After a few months, the trap will turn black and die off like you see in the plant above. The trap mechanisms are typically triggered by live insects. If you're keeping yours indoors during the winter, you can try to feed them by hand! Here's a great guide for feeding carnivorous plants, or check out this cool video. When your bog planter is outside, your carnivorous plants should catch plenty of insects on their own. This will absorb impurities and keep the standing water from getting stinky over time. Spread a layer of horticultural charcoal at the bottom of the planter. Mix them all in a separate container from your planter bowl. My local garden nursery recommends the following carnivorous plant soil recipe: three parts peat moss to one part perlite and one part sand. You can buy premade carnivorous plant soil to avoid any problems. If there's added fertilizer in the peat moss or salt in the sand, you could harm the plants in your bog planter. The soil is nutrient-poor, which is why they evolved to eat insects!Ĭheck the labels if you're mixing your own soil. The goal is to replicate the bog environment where carnivorous plants naturally grow.
How to Make a Carnivorous Bog Planter Garden Mix up the soil
Luckily, our local nursery was teaching a class on how to make carnivorous bog planters. He wanted to expand his plant collection, and I wanted to create something a little more visually appealing. Not exactly the most attractive display, but it kept Jaws happy! ? My son's first Venus Fly Trap, which he named Jaws, lived in its plastic pot from the store with a tray of water underneath. Please visit my disclosures page for more information. Purchases made through these links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.
You can create a miniature version of their natural habitat with this bog planter garden! Hidden among these grasses and ferns are voracious killers! Carnivorous plants, such as Venus Fly Traps, Sundews and Pitcher Plants, are fascinating plants that eat bugs that fall into their sticky traps.