FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I've found the perfect way to keep Nepenthes humid and happy indoors. Many garden supply places sell tomato cloches, which are something like those cylindrical pop-up butterfly habitats, but are made of a transparent vinyl. Essentially, it's a miniature, soft, folding greenhouse. The perfect size to be kept indoors, and to put over Nepenthes that have started to get fairly large. It hasn't been long since I got mine, but it definitely stays fairly humid inside, so I'm expecting pitchers to start forming soon. It certainly keeps humidity around the upper parts of a Nep vine better than putting a tray around the base. And, since they're designed for tomato plants, you can get fairly large ones.
They have a few ventilation holes in them normally. If you're worried about circulation, you could just stick a computer fan in there, or cut more holes.

That actually sounds like a good idea I might try that out.

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I want one!!!

Great idea! Might have to steal it. Lol

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Seems to be working so far, still. I misplaced my hygrometer, but it feels tangibly humid if I put my hand in, so it's definitely keeping things wetter.
I got one that's 19" wide and about four feet tall for something like $23. That listing isn't up any more, but if you search any combination of the words "tomato greenhouse cloche", you should come up with some good results.

I bought a few on Amazon. They've not yet arrived but will take pics and report back upon arrival. Thinking they'll also help when feeding live insects to my indoor Neps so I don't have escapees.

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If yours comes with a little carrying case, that's super useful.
Mine came in a case made of two circular pieces of vinyl, sewn together along the edges, with a zipper. I cut a slit up the side of the cloche and sewed the zipper along it so I can zip it open to easily access my plants. And I used a circle of the vinyl from the case, along with duct tape, to make a sort of tray to set everything in. You could probably also use an actual tray, but it was easier to make one. I keep a quarter-inch or so of water in that tray and it keeps the humidity up nice and high.

Pictures?

Just out of curiosity OP - what plants are you trying to boost humidity for? How "dry" is your grow area?

Mostly my N. sanguinea and N. ventrata, which were getting too tall to be kept happy by a dish of water under them for humidity. Neither was pitchering despite being watered enough. The spot in my room where I grow my plants is really close to a heating vent, and we have to have the heat on pretty much all the time during the winter, because our house is too old to have insulation. I don't know exactly how dry it gets, but it's enough that it hurts my sinuses to breathe half the time if I don't put a humidifier in my room, and even then I have to just about point the humidifier at my face. So the best answer I have to "how dry is it" is "unpleasantly so".

I'll take some pictures tomorrow when the sun comes back up.

Fishkeeper wrote:If yours comes with a little carrying case, that's super useful.
Mine came in a case made of two circular pieces of vinyl, sewn together along the edges, with a zipper. I cut a slit up the side of the cloche and sewed the zipper along it so I can zip it open to easily access my plants. And I used a circle of the vinyl from the case, along with duct tape, to make a sort of tray to set everything in. You could probably also use an actual tray, but it was easier to make one. I keep a quarter-inch or so of water in that tray and it keeps the humidity up nice and high.

I would love to see pics of your set up.

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