Observations on growing plants in bogs
- Subject: Observations on growing plants in bogs
- From: K* K*
- Date: Thu, 6 Jun 2002 10:52:31 -0500 (CDT)
Ron,
The past 2 springs I have had sad experience with many different plant
reactions to growing in bogs. I have learned this: if the crown is
submerged along with the top inch of root system for more than a short time
(a day or more) the plant will die. This happens regardless of whether it
has water roots or not. Certain species tolerate saturated soil with water
above the soil line but growth is usually stunted (exception: mazus reptans
-- growth is same or improved if entire plant is submerged for up to 2
months). Doing it the other way around (soil or air up to the crown with
water below) succeeds in almost every species I have attempted. The only
aroids subjected to this inadvertant treatment are the Arisaema triphyllum
and A. stewardsonii, along with Zantedeschia. Most others are closely
related: various Asarum and yuccas. Species that failed the worst are
supposedly "bog lovers": rodgersia, astilbes, trillium, viola tricolor,
carex, marshmallow, and chilene. Other plants that did not survive more
than a couple days even with crowns not submerged (at least 1" above
saturated soil) are lamium, heuchera, dicentra, aster, tiarella, most ferns
(except Osmonda regalis), hellebores.
Doing things to the soil to help improve aeration in the standing water has
not improved the plants' health: adding fish, water-aerating plants,
crayfish, etc. Adding drying agents to the soil has not helped either.
In conclusion, allowing plants to slowly adjust their roots from soil to
water seems to have the greatest chances of survival, and most species
survive this and grow bigger than normal. Adding nutrients to the water
(compost tea) does not seem to make any difference in eventual plant size or
health during this process; I have found that having any air between the
soil layer and water prevents the plant from putting seeking roots into the
water.
I hope all this information on different plant species and families will
help in your attempts to grow aroids in water.
Kathy
Ohio Zone 6
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