Bio-Domes

Last updated 2nd Aug 2011

We have just added some new pages linked from the bottom of this page, to help advise you on the next step to be taken once your plant outgrows it's Bio-Dome.

If you do not wish to read all the details below, you can skip straight to:

I live in a temperate country

I live in a tropical country

What is a Bio-Dome?

A Bio-Dome is a simple growing system that enables anyone to grow Nepenthes plants from a young age at home, in the office, greenhouse or garden, with minimal care and maintenance. The system waters the plant using capillary action to wick water up from a reservoir below the plant. The same water reservoir is also used to supply water to a surrounding mat, to maintain high humidity within the dome. Plants may be kept in this way for many months and only need to be watered about once per month.
First introduced experimentally in May 2011 at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, these units are being successfully kept in a range of different environments in Europe and will be introduced into Singapore in August 2011. We have received several reports from people who have these early prototype units, asking for advice as to how to move to the next step. This web page will be developed into a complete website in the next few months but for now, we’ll deal with the basics to help those who need urgent advice as to what to do next.

Sir David Attenborough reports that one of his Bio-Domes containing a Nepenthes ‘Bill Bailey’ is producing leaves and pitchers outside the dome. When he first received his Bio-Domes, Sir David quickly pointed out that his horticultural skills are somewhat lacking and expressed grave concerns that the plants may not survive. However, they are apparently thriving - so if it works for him, it should for you too!

Early Care & Maintenance Guide

You can keep your plant in the Bio-Dome provided for several months, so long as it's in a bright place and you occasionally top up the reservoir with rainwater as needed. Eventually the plant will outgrow the dome and its tiny pot, then there are several options as to what you can do next. Please scroll down to the bottom of this page for links to pages with more information.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The packaging that came with your Bio-Dome (formerly called a "Desktop Carnivore") contains the basic instructions you need to get started but to help you along, here are some preliminary FAQs for the early days:

Help! The existing pitchers and some older leaves are turning black, what should I do?

Please do not panic! Your plant has been through a great deal of stress before you gave it it's new home. The natural fluid from the old pitchers would have been lost in transit and the plant naturally responds to stress by abandoning old pitchers, this is completely normal. Older leaves will also naturally die back until the plant settles down. Cut them off and wait. The plant can grow well with a minimum of 3 leaves and growing point. Each new leaf formed should produce a new pitcher that should last for a very long time, many months at least. If this does not happen, then please refer to the relevant FAQ below.

Where should I keep my plant?

Nepenthes need more light than many people suppose. Try to find a spot where there is a little sun for a few hours per day or better still, dappled sunlight but be careful not to cause overheating in hot weather. If sunlight is not available, they can be grown very successfully under a normal fluorescent light placed about 30cm (12") from the plant. If the light can be put on a time switch to keep it on for 12-14 hours per day, so much the better.

How Should I water my plant?

Keep an eye on the water in the reservoir. When it falls to nearly the bottom of the two capillary wicks, the water will need to be topped up simply by pouring gently through the hole in the dome. Please do not use tap water but rain water. Tap water can be used in an emergency but should be replaced with rainwater as soon as possible; otherwise your plant may slowly decline depending upon the hardness of your tap water - which will be painful to watch. The reservoir pot easily unclips from the dome for cleaning as required.

How Should I feed my plant?

There is fertiliser built into the little pot that will last for at least 12 months, so don't worry about that yet. We will deal with this topic in future updates.

Can I open the lid of the dome?

The dome and the foam with the capillary wicking provides the high humidity that the plant is used to. You may certainly open the lid for a few minutes at a time but please do not remove it entirely or leave it open for long periods unless in a very humid place such as a bathroom or moist greenhouse. Even then, it's best to slowly acclimatise the plant by leaving the lid open for longer and longer periods each day. Regular misting with rainwater is useful when the dome lid is left open or removed entirely.

Unsightly algae is forming in the water reservoir, what should I do?

This is inevitable and will happen after a few months. The reservoir pot is easily unclipped from the dome in the Mk 1 version of the Bio-Dome, and then it may be cleaned and replaced. Please remember to replace the water with rainwater and not tap water, unless there is no choice.

Does this product represent a potential mosquito breeding ground?

This is a matter of great interest to growers in tropical countries and the answer is a definite "No!". Mosquitoes are unable to reach the water reservoir to lay their eggs and the natural digestive fluid in the pitchers is regulated by the plant to be highly acidic, which makes it impossible for the dangerous dengue and malarial carrying species of mosquito to breed in them. This has been scientifically proven. The only risk is from residual water in dead pitchers on older leaves, which should be trimmed off regularly.

My plant produces new leaves but pitchers do not form. What's wrong?

Either the humidity is too low or there is insufficient light. If the dome lid is kept closed, the humidity will be fine, so insufficient light is the problem. You should find pitchers form with good colouration, similar to the ones on the plant when you first purchased it but hopefully larger with each new leaf!

What happens when my plant starts to outgrow the dome?

Now it's time to consider rehousing your plant. There are several options available, depending upon whether you live in a temperate or tropical country and whether you wish to grow the plant indoors, in a greenhouse or conservatory, or in a garden. Some truly remarkable mature plants have been raised indoors under fluorescent lights on a desktop or windowsill. It's all a matter of technique. We shall be offering various alternatives and examples in the pages linked below.

Please click on the appropriate link to find out more:

I live in a temperate country

I live in a tropical country