Creating an Artificial Marsh or Bog for Hardy Hibiscus

When I went of vacation this past summer, I had a large number of Hibiscus plants growing in pots. While I had made arrangements to have my garden watered, I was concerned that the Hibiscus might not get enough water. I have three Rubbermaid 100 gallon stock tanks which I am not currently using for fish, so I adjusted the overflow control on each tank to maintain a four inch water level. I put as many Hibiscus pots as I could in the tanks, filed them with 4” of water and hoped for the best.

When I returned home a week later, I was amazed to find that the Hibiscus sitting in the 4” of water had made significant growth gains. A number of young seedlings which I didn’t expect to bloom the first year suddenly started forming bugs, well in advance of older seedlings from the same stock which I had not moved to the tanks. The response of Hibiscus to having their feet wet was swift and quite dramatic.

This sudden growth should not have been a surprise because the native habitat of our hardy Hibiscus is fresh and brackish water marshes. After all, there is a reason why the plants are known as Hibiscus Marshmallow.

I started thinking about how I could create an artificial marsh in my garden. Rubbermaid has a 50 gallon stock tank with the same footprint as their 100 gallon tanks, just shorter but the price is almost the same at the Tractor Supply Store, which has the lowest prices. While doing a little research, I found that Cement Mixing Tubs in various size up to 3’x2’x0.5’ can be purchased at Lowes, Home Depot and other box-stores for prices under $14. Tubs with dimensions of 27”x24” and 26”x20” are also available.

http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=cement+mixing+tubs

The tubs are available from Lowes and Home Depot. The Lowes tub costs about a $1 more but the sides are reinforced. The capacity of the 36”x24” tubs is rated at about 20 gallons.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_19252-1569-ST3608_0__
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202086174/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

While researching the use of cement mixing tubs in gardening, I learned that bog gardeners have been using these tubs for some time now. I didn’t find any plans for creating an artificial marsh for Hibiscus.

Juel Dukes Bog
http://carnivorousplants.homestead.com/OthersBogs/OthersBogsJuelDuke.html

The following pictures show a high number of artificial bog gardens:
http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=cement+mixing+tubs+bog+garden

In the bog garden, the rim of the cement mixing tub is at ground level. My idea is that the rim of the cement mixing tub be buried about six inches or more underground and then backfilled with good quality potting soil to ground level. The cement mixing tub would collect and hold water like an underground cistern. The Hibiscus roots would quickly tap into this easily available supply of water. This could be a real advantage for gardeners with sandy soil conditions which don’t retain water well. By keeping the tub underground, mosquito problems would also be avoided. Yes, recycled used swimming pool lines and other plastic films could be used but they create other problems.

If the tub was partially backfilled with a water retaining material, such as Perlite, the water storage capacity of the tub would be increased. There are other ways to increase the water holding capacity of the tubs but I wanted to present an idea which was inexpensive, easily implemented, uses easily available materials and is not too big.

How does this sound for a spring 2012 project? Is anyone doing this already or are there any better ways to create an artificial Hibiscus marsh?

Mike

Where I come from they are found near marshes growing wild. So your idea is great. I think they will enjoy the marsh feeling.

Please post us a picture of what was done. I am interested in trying this.

I have noticed if I put any plant, Bromeliad or Sweet Potatoe Vine, in a second pot that holds water the roots just take over. Of cource I put a rock or brick inside the outter pot; then put the smaller size planted pot inside.

I have been looking for low cost bulk sources of Perlite and found this seller:

Super Coarse Perlite Fertilizer - GMPER50L
http://www.wayfair.com/Hydrofarm-100-L-Super-Coarse-Perlite-Fertilizer-GMPER-HYF1088.html

A 3.53 Cubic Feet bag is currently selling at discount for $26.79 with ground shipping being $8.99 to my home for a total cost of $35.78. The volume of the Lows mixing tube referenced about is 3 Cubic Feet, so a 3.53 Cubic Feet bag should fill one tub. Buying two or more bags at a time will save on shipping. The total cost of setting up an artificial marsh using Perlite will be $50 per tub for a 3 foot by 2 foot area at ground level.

I would be interested in any less expensive ways for backfill the mixing tub while still assuring maximum water storage capacity but I haven’t found one yet. I thought about using 5 or 6 rows of 3 foot sections of 4” PVC perforated pipe which are cheep but the end-caps quickly drive up the costs.

Mike

Perlite is manufacture from a volcanic glass, known as obsidian, which has solidified underground and contains entrapped water. When it is heated to high temperatures at normal pressures the water is converted to steam and the volcanic glass expands explosively like popcorn resulting in Perlite.

Ornamental lave rock is derived from lava with a high gas content which solidifies at the service, resulting in a very porous rock which can absorb water much like Perlite. One of the forms in which Lava rock is sold, is as a permanent ground with pebble sizes of 1.5” to 2”. This form if lava rock is generally available at garden centers and landscapers. I have one price of $8 per cubic foot, which would cost $24 to fill a 3 cubic foot tub. Using lava rock, a single 2’ by 3’ marsh would cost about $38, which is a little cheaper than Perlite.

I found the website of the Red Dome Company which mines lava rock in Utah. They have a distribution network in several states but New Jersey is not one of them. The website has useful information on size and colors of lava rock which they offer, as well as conversion metrics between weight and volume for various pebble sizes.

Red Dome Lava Rock Samples
http://www.reddome.com/lava-rock-sample.html

The website also has some useful information on the use of lava rocks in gardening and the aquarium. The prices which are quoted are at their Utah mine; the actual prices at garden centers in New Jersey are 5 to 6 time that because of transportation costs.

Bulk Lava Rock Prices
http://www.firerocks.biz/bulk-lava-rock-html

Does anyone have experience using lava rock in a gardening environment? I understand that in the case of some red lava rock, the iron oxides can stain the surrounding areas. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Mike

This message was edited Dec 16, 2011 10:15 AM

Do not worry about the plants, they are about the toughest thing around. My oldest plant is a dark pink, at least 50 years old and still going, needless to say I have a bounty of plants and seeds, around the pond and all over the yard. I agree that they like water but if not they will survive anyway. they are a wonderful, beautiful plant.

Annabelle,

Are you saying you have a hardy Hibiscus which is over 50 years old? By any chance to you have a photograph of the flower you can post? If this is a hardy Hibiscus, is it a named cultivar and how did you obtain it? Any information would be very much appreciated.

I did some fact checking and learned that the Red Dome lava is exceptionally light weight (i.e. high porosity) but not available in the Eastern United States. It is starting to look like Perlite, purchased in bulk, will be the most cost effective solution for me.

Mike

Sorry i don't have a pic right now. My mother planted the hibiscus when she and my father moved into this house. It is a dark pink in color and gets about 4 feet tall with many stems each year, it would take several people to reach around it. The seeds produce lite pink, white with a red throat, and a ruby pink. I have no idea where my mother got the plant, probably from a friend, but it is very tough. I have several that I put in pots and set on a shelf in the pond, and a few in pots in the stream (natural) that flows into the pond, they do not get as tall as the ones in the yard, but the blooms are the same. the stream does not freeze in the winter and I leave the pots in the water year round.

Annabelle,

This summer I would be extremely interested in seeing pictures of the flowers and leaves of your Mother’s pink Hibiscus. If your 50 plus year assessment is accurate that places your Hibiscus back to the late 1950’s or earlier.

The first Hibiscus Patent was issue in 1947 to Ernest Hemming for his Hibiscus Annie J. Hemming (PP835). Ernest Hemming was also the breeder of the first hardy Hibiscus in 1907 which were known as Meehan’s Mallow Marvels. With the exception of the Annie J, I have not been too successful in locating heirloom Hibiscus but I keep trying. Is there any way get a better lock on the date for your Mother’s Hibiscus? For example, old family records, photographs, etc.

How do you propagate this Hibiscus? By root-divisions, cuttings or seeds? If you use, seed, do they breed true or to you get a mix of colors? There are also some wild species Hibiscus which are solid pink, which I am now growing.

How does you stream remain ice free in your winter? Is it spring feed or fast moving? Keeping the roots of hardy Hibiscus wet is a real plus. This summer check the temperature of the water in the stream and pond. I would be willing to bet that the pond is warmer which would explain the larger growth.

Mike

The plant was planted in early 1950's. Mom and Dad buitl the house and one of the first things my mother did was to plant a few flowers, the hibiscus, lilacs, and a few peonies. The lilac is still here and so are the hibiscus.
Every year I get a bounty of seeds, and I trade, give away, and plant where I feel I need color, I do not mess with cuttings, or root divisions, I am too old to get down on my knees anymore, just seed as they grow quickly just from seed.
The stream is run by a 1200 gal pump, which keeps the water moving very fast, (it seems strange to walk out of the house in a snowstorm and hear water running) the water temp in the summer is usually about 10 degrees above air temp, I keep track for the fish in the pond (koi), but the speed of the water does not seem to make any difference to the plants. Every spring I find new hib plants where the seeds have dropped. they are really a carefree plant.
I'll take some pics this summer and post them.

Hi Annabelle,
I too would love to see pics of your Hibiscus. That bit it must be absolutely stunning!

Mike,
I am intrigued by your "underground cistern" theory! I wonder thought in a climate as dry as mine if any excess moisture collected won't be soon pulled away by the outlying dryer soil. I have some 12" deep livestock tubs that are 2' or so across, but maybe deeper would be better here in the desert...

I think I'll plant a couple of my seedlings and a couple of the bare root Hibs I ordered using your sunken tub method and the rest just in the ground. It'll be interesting to see the difference in how they grow. Maybe sunken tub method will slow the salt grass we have from choking the new plants! When we planted our big trees I found the salt grass roots go down several feet, so no matter how much of it I dig out before planting stuff it always pops right back up :(

Melissa

Melissa,

I had thought about using the 12 inch deep stock tanks but they are frankly too expensive to be buried in the ground unless you have some used ones and nothing better to do with them. The Cement Mixing Tubs are a low cost solution which can be buried in the ground or used on the surface to hold water. Another possibility is to make the cistern out of pond liners or used swimming pool liners which should be available from your local pool company as scrap. Remember that no one is going to see the liners so colors don’t count. If liners are used to fabricate the cistern, you could make it as large as you want and as close to surface to better retain water.

Any barrier which slows the seepage water into the ground will benefit the plants. In answer to your question, yes through capillary action the water will be lost from the cistern in any environment but under your high desert conditions the loss will be faster but slower than if there was no cistern. If you make the cistern out of used liners and dig it deep with the lip of the cistern a few inches from the ground surface, water loss should be slowed while maximizing storage capacity.

Here are some useful links.

Cistern
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistern

Rainwater Harvesting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_harvesting

For me this is over the top but it may have some useful ideas for anyone living in dry environments.

Google: Sand Cistern
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=sand+cistern

Constructing a Sand Cistern Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPo2xyAXw4s

Here are the other clips.

Oklahoma Gardening: Sand Cistern
http://www.youtube.com/user/OklahomaGardening/videos?query=cistern

This summer I am planning to use using two Cement Mixing Tubs above ground and one buried Cement Mixing Tubs. My three stock tanks will continue to be used with the water level set to 4 inches in the bottom of the stock tanks.

Mike

Oooh, a 50 year old hibiscus! I'd love to see that too!

As for hibiscus needing water, all of mine are drought tolerant. They have to be. We can go two months without rain, and I'm not one to get out there with a water hose. We're on a well, so I have to conserve water. So I've trained all my plants to be drought tolerant. The hibiscus may love water, but they perform beautifully without it too, if you weane them off of it.

My Lord Baltimore produces 100's of beautiful blooms and it's planted outside my fence when I NEVER water. If Mother Nature doesn't do it, it doesn't get it. And the hibiscus just never seem to care.

Same here. And I'm so happy about that.

Where does one purchase a Lord Baltimore that is the "real deal"?

I went through every Hibiscus Lord Baltimore on the Internet. Anyone selling seeds was eliminated. Some offerings are the real thing but they want $40 for a 3 gallon port. Other plants appear to be red tropical’s. Many were not Lord Baltimore or I couldn’t make a positive ID.

This is the vendor list from DG.

Companies selling Hardy Hibiscus, Rose Mallow, Swamp Mallow 'Lord Baltimore'
http://davesgarden.com/products/ps/go/40923/

This one looks like a winner for $7.97 but you had better act quickly as quantity is low.

Hibiscus Lord Baltimore
http://vincentgardens.com/Hibiscus-Lord-Baltimore-P1409651.aspx

There were 2 neutral and 40 positive reviews.

Mike

Thanks, Mike. I always forget about the vendors on DG. I've ordered from Lazy S's Farm before with good results. Maybe I'll email them and see what they have to say about their Lord B.

The Lazy S’s Lord Baltimore is the real-thing and they are very highly ranked company in the GWD. They also have Lady Baltimore so if you don’t have Lady B you can save on shipping and keep the family together at $9.99 per plant. Actually they have other Hibiscus which are extremely tempting but I just don’t have the room. I am still trying to find homes for some of last year’s “experiments”; fortunately most of these are species specimens and I will plant them in local nature parks. I have to be careful with hybrids.

Lord and Lady Baltimore
http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plants/Shrubs/Cl-It%20Shrubs/shrubs_trees_F-It.htm#SHRU13820

Mike

Everything I've gotten from there has been good except for one Agastache ruprestris. And they immediately refunded my money. I will probably look into both Lord and Lady Baltimore there. Thanks.

I see they are selling the business. But "looking for just the right people". That's good.