Question
QUESTION: Location:  Portland, Oregon, good lighting, outdoors.
Plant types:  Venus flytraps - we bought at your nursery past weekend.
Soil - peat moss

I found an antique wheel barrow (metal) and would love to grow the plants we just bought in them but I understand from Jacob that metal is not good.  If I lined this with thick plastic would this work? Is porcelein, as in your tub, okay?  Plastic is obviously fine.  

I know I need to put drainage in.

Just want to know if lining with plastic makes metal okay?

Thank you.

ANSWER: Hi Deena,

A good thick layer of plastic, such as 6 mil black would be great.  Porcelein is fine also since it is inert, adds nothing, and doesn't react with the tannic acid in peat moss.

Good Growing!

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

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old wheel barrow   QUESTION: So if I line the wheel barrow with the plastic, do I need to put any rocks in the bottom for drainage or just holes in the plastic and peat moss all the way through?
Here is a photo of the wheel barrow and maybe that will help you understand what I want to do.

Answer
Hi Deena,

Put holes in the plastic, and you should have some holes drilled in the bottom of the wheelbarrow too. (Provided it doesn't already have some like ours.:)  You could use something like a straw to align the plastic/metal holes.

I don't think you need rocks on the bottom unless it's just to hold the plastic in place.

I'd recommend using a half and half mix of peat moss and pumice for a container like this.  You'll have less issues with floating like you might have with perlite.  That will also provide a very porous mix negating the need for a gravel layer.

Good Growing!

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