Question
i have a large underground pond that i would like to turn into a bog so i could plant north American pitcher plants in.
what should i use for soil. any hints or resources i could look up for my project. i live west of  Atlanta ga.i have plenty of sun and space.

Answer
HI James,

As long as your bog receives full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight) during the summer months, it will flourish in your Atlanta climate.  Also make sure that there is ample drainage.  It's OK to set up your bog so that there is a few inches of water sitting at the bottom.  This will act as a reservoir during the hot summer months.  

Use a standard soil mix of 1 part sphagnum peat moss and 1 part perlite.  You can substitute perlite with washed sand, play sand, silica sand or pumice.

I also recommend that you top dress the soil with pea gravel.  You can use live sphagnum moss, however I'm not certain if it will survive your hot summers.  It tends to prefer cool temperatures.  The top dressing is to prevent soil erosion during heavy rains and during times when you need to top water.

For more information about growing North American carnivorous plants, read our care sheets online:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

For more information about building bog gardens, visit this web page:
http://www.pitcherplant.com/bog_making.html

Good growing!
Jacob Farin