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Carnivorous Plants/Bog Garden Liner Question

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Expert: - 6/29/2010


Question
Hello I've recently received in the mail a 5' by 10' Little Giant Pond Liner. It says to install the pond liner with the rought side up and the smooth side down because it says it encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria. Is this bacteria good for carnivorous plants? Particulary Sarracenia, Venus flytraps, Sundews and Darlingtonia. Should I install the pondliner with the smooth side up?

Thanks,

      Bob

Answer
Hello Bob,

The pond liner instructions are for using the liner for a pond, not a bog. As a bog, bacterial action will be slightly lessened due to the iodine in the sphagnum peat moss. You would want to periodically clean the liner out as algae and waste will build up on it. So long as the liner holds in water and serves its purpose, I do not see a reason why it could not be placed in whatever configuration you want. If you turned it so that the smoothe side is up, it would merely mean slightly less bacterial growth, so a little less clean-up later. I do not think the presence of such bacteria will matter much to carnivorous plants other than cleaning them out periodically to discourage nitrogen build-up.

Christopher  

Carnivorous Plants

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Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

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