Floating gardens, simple hydroponics with living soil for difficult plants

[Maggi Young]

Several Sphagnum species are fruiting. Some have already exceeded the 5 centimeters after half a year.

Good growth rate in the circumstances, I think.

[partisangardener]

I never had better growing Sphagnum before. Even in this heat.
From Canada I got some seeds of Iris hookeri. It was already spring and was too late for normal sowing. I used some sandpaper. to get some of the seeds early started. The rest is in the fridge.
All germinated.
Here is one

[partisangardener]

It is an effective cooling device.
Not only for the plants growing there. 

[Maggi Young]

It is an effective cooling device.
Not only for the plants growing there. 

   

[partisangardener]

Even Meconopsis seems to like hot summers there.
Picture from an hour ago.

[partisangardener]

One of the islands had a visitor which harvested every leaf of Lilly growing there. (most likely a mouse) I will try some Chilly powder, to prevent further damage.

[partisangardener]

I have two very similar Islands. One with no Sphagnum but mostly Hypnum sp. there Drosera intermedia and rotundifolia grows very well from seed since last autumn.  Another one with partly Sphagnum, mostly Hypnum sp. and a thicker layer of peat. (3-4 cm) had the same seeds, gemination was as good, but all small plants withered away.
On the latter one dropped some needles of Picea omorica in autum and winter. Light is about the same.
I have no explanation.
Here the one with good Drosera growth.

[partisangardener]

I found a possible explanation for the disappearing Droseras on the other island. It got by accident once watered with fertilized water which was meant for tomatoes.
Some old sheep dung dissolved in water. The tomatoes liked it.

Only the Droseras  vanished. Vaccinum uliginoso and Sphagnum manged it. Maybe because the concentration is in this much water
faster diluted.

When I will have some new rainwater, I will change the water it is floating in and test if this substrate can be recovered in quality for Drosera.
 
Here is the poisoned island,

[partisangardener]

Meconopsis sheldonii grows very well despite the heat we have.
All other seedlings on the other islands are dwarfish in full sun or more shady like the good one.
So I transplanted some of these dwarfs onto the best island. Substrate seems the same. Source was the island next to it same light probably same substrate, but different other plants.

After one week they look more vigorous. Probably something with their companions. Moss, fungus or others.

Most of the other seedlings are still alive and maybe start to grow again when autumn comes.

[partisangardener]

Even Meconopsis seems to like hot summers there.
Picture from an hour ago.

This grasslike leafs are Gladiolus palustris seedlings which grow on most islands.
The original seed source of this strain is from a natural site near Augsburg in Germany. Propagated in a friends garden for many decades. The bulbs are quite big by now and the first leaf dies back.

[partisangardener]

Drosera filiformis has reached 15 centimeters on one of these islands.

Most interesting is for me a batch Drosera linearis. It usually grows not very good and keeps being dwarfish with me.
I had very little left from previous attempts. This one is in its first year nearly thrice the size from my former experience.
There is still the possibility that I had mixed up the seed envelopes.

What do you think?
No hibernacle end of September so I might be wrong with the name.

[partisangardener]

A quite fresh one from end of May compared with beginning of August.


Such growth is just average with these islands. (Two and a half month).

[partisangardener]

Drosera linearis is now in its first year 3,5 cm high which is 1,38 inches.
This is the biggest one.
What surprises me is the good color, almost as in the wild.
No hibernacle yet end of September so I am probably wrong with the ID.

[partisangardener]

I have on one of these islands Echium vulgare, which is believed not very tolerant to wet ground . Self sown and quite healthy.
Since I have seen this species flowering in a  very wet slope which is fed by several seeps, I believe its the oxygen or the lack of it which would be a problem.
Such trouble do not occur on my islands.
Several Islands have now seedlings of Cistus laurifolius. I will see how they fare through the next winter.

[partisangardener]

Meconopsis seedlings revive since the nights are cooling.
The two big ones show no difference, but all the small ones (which looked like shriveling away) put out new leafs. They are still very small.
Maybe they grow a bit until winter comes.