Question
Hi Jeff. I am putting in a big bog garden. It is 16 to 18 inches deep on the side I have a problem with. It is filled with 50/50 peat/perlite for most of it and the last 5 or 6 inches using 50/50 peat/sand.

My problem is that 1/2 bale of Natures Compost with 2 bags of sand were mixed and spread out on the top layer on one side of the bog late yesterday afternoon, nothing has been added since. The contents on the bag says it is a mix of sphagnum peat moss, age fir bark, and forest products compost.

My question: Is the bog now ruined for sarracenia, flytraps, and sundews? This happened yesterday late afternoon and it rained a little last night. Even if I take off the top layer that was the compost mix, I am afraid the compost may have leached through that. Will this compost kill whatever I put in there, or is there anything you can suggest short of starting over? This is a huge bog, 20" deep one one side and there are 12 bales of peat moss mixed with 50% perlite and sand, so a big project that was almost complete.

Desperately need advice of what to do. Thank you

Answer
Hi Joni,

I don't think all is lost.  Just shovel out the compost, and take a little of the peat mix too.  Next, put your garden hose in the bog, leave the water on low, and let it flood for overnight.  Essentially you want to leach out any nutrients that got in there.  Be careful not to have the water on too much as to wash out soil media.

The Sarracenia will not miss a beat.  They'll be fine.  Since sundews are fairly shallow rooted, they will probably ok also.  You might hold off on flytraps for a while, however.  They seem the most sensitive to fertilizer.  Let mother nature rain on the bog for a couple weeks, then you should be fine.  

If my raised garden bed is any indicator, the rain should leach it out just fine.  Last March I put about 10 bags of steer manure on my raised garden bed in March.  In June I tested the soil and the nitrogen didn't even register.  I might as well have had pitcher plants in there as opposed to tomatoes!

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com