landscape using bogwood?

[marwood]

Hello, new here and fairly new to the hobby.
I have a question about landscaping a bog garden. I was wondering if I could use bogwood, purchased from a pet store for use in an aquarium, in a bog landscape? Or any other wood for that matter. I’m trying to create a natural landscape for some of my sarracenias, flytraps and sundews so if anyone has any other ideas that‘d be great? Thanks.

 

[amphirion]

yes you can...bogwood from a petstore is generally inert...however, i've seen plenty of more attractive manzantia and oak branches for sale online and in backyards too...

 

[marwood]

Ok cool. So maybe I’ll use a moss covered branch from an oak or doug fir in my yard. I think I’m just overly nervous about doing stuff with my carnivores.

 

[seedjar]

Keep in mind that the mosses and lichens you find growing on tree limbs won't necessarily succeed in the moist, brightly lit, terrestrial conditions of a bog garden. Also, I think it's unlikely that fresh wood will cause many problems for you, but typically wood is allowed to cure in a relatively dry place for some time (about a year I believe) before it's used in this sort of application. Using wild branches without preparing them probably won't hurt your garden, but I wouldn't be surprised if the moss died and the wood began to decay in rather short order.
To maximize your chances of success, I'd look for branches that have already fallen and been in a wet and sunny spot for a while. Whatever is growing on deadwood like this is likely happy in those kinds of conditions and will probably make the transition to your bog easily. You could also try branches from a tree that has lost a lot of its lower foliage but still has old limbs with epiphytic mosses growing it - you'll need to do something to keep them from getting too wet on the ground, but because they're growing on bare limbs they shouldn't mind bright light.
~Joe

 

[Nevermore]

You could also try the grapevine wood that they sell at petsmart. I had a 2.5 thick x 8in section that i had an orchid mounted to 3 years back... the orchid "passed" and i ended up just throwing the wood into my compost pile. I am an active gardener and do "hot" composting, so things cook quickly. Every time i turn the compost, i am still coming across that same grapevine wood piece and it is just fine looking. Still hard and not falling apart. I bet i could just rinse it off and use it again as an orchid mount.