Question
Due to a hurricane, I have the ground up stumps of several oaks that I would like to use in place of peat to build an acid bog in my now sunny yard. I will grow carnivorous plants as well as terrestrial orchids, fern, swamp hibiscus..etc.The ground up oak is smaller than wood chips but not quite as fine as sawdust and it is mixed with some topsoil.Can it be a peat substitute? I have no image to submit- this bog is in the planning stage. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Answer
Hello Carolyn,

The problem with using bark and topsoil would be the potential fertilizers already present in such a mix as well as the inadequacy of the acidity level. Sphagnum peat is full of iodine and is quite acidic. It creates a perfect environment for absorbing water, drainage, and reduction of bacterial growth. Many growers have attempted to alter the soil mix of their carnivorous plants and have found that more often than not the old sphagnum peat and perlite or silica sand mix is the best.

Best bet is to buy as many bales of the dry Canadian peat from your local nursery as you will need and mix it with some clean silica sand or perlite in a 50/50 mix. Make sure that none of the products you obtain have mineral or fertilizer additives or they will kill your plants.

Christopher