You probably are aware of the fact that plants are beneficial for us because they release oxygen into the air that we need to breathe. What you may not know is that we release carbon dioxide into the air that they need, in order to carry out photosynthesis.
This is why CO2 comes into play when you’re growing plants, and can actually be quite beneficial for a number of different reasons. It can help you grow larger, stronger plants, but it comes with a price.
Let’s take a look at the reasons you may want to add CO2 in your grow room and how to do so.
The first steps
Before doing anything else, you’ll need to do a bit of research to determine if you’ll need to add more CO2 to your room. It won’t really be beneficial to those that are growing outside, since there should be a lot of this gas in the air naturally.
You should really only consider this method if you are growing plants indoors, since there may not be enough CO2 in the air in this type of environment. This can be doubly true if you are actually growing in a room in your home, and not a specialized grow room.
Tips
Here are some of the other major things you need to know before you institute a method to get more CO2 into your room.
Make sure the room is sealed
If you are going to go to all the trouble of putting a special gas into your gardening room, you’ll need to be sure that it is unable to escape. This means you will have to make sure that the room is properly sealed, so the gas will stick around long enough to do what it needs to do to help the plants.
Make sure that there is proper ventilation and circulation
Besides just making sure that the room won’t lose the gas you put into it, you’ll need to also make sure that the gas can get to all the plants. This means getting fans or something like that to circulate it around. CO2 is a heavy gas, so it works well when it’s fed into the room from the top.
This way it won’t weigh the plants down and make them sag or droop. It also makes sure that every plant gets an adequate amount.
Check out your options
Many sites will tell you that you can only place a CO2 tank in your room to add more gas, but there are a few different options that will work just fine. Look into all of these options, in order to see which one is practical for you to use, and won’t cost you a lot of extra money.
Decide what type of setup will work best for you
Once you figure out which method you want to try, figure out how to set it up in your room. The best way to do this is on paper first, before you make any purchases or major decisions.
Try it on a small scale
Next, it’s time to test it out. Check how your method works on a few plants to see if you can use it for many plants. It’s best to try it out this way, so you don’t lose an entire crop if something doesn’t go as planned. You may end up not liking it, so it’s important you try it beforehand.
Does it really work?
Adding carbon dioxide to your room can work because it alerts the plants that there is enough food to go around, which will also allow them to grow much bigger. There are some caveats to keep in mind though.
One is that there has to be the correct amount of resources in the room to begin with. For instance, if you add more gas to your room but the room isn’t the right temperature or doesn’t have the proper amount of light, you’re wasting your time.
You should read up on how much of everything you’ll need, including space, light, pH, temperature, humidity level, amount of CO2 that’s beneficial, and everything else you can think of. Increasing the Co2 allows you to use more or brighter grow lights and will require more nutrients.
This may help you stay on point with all of these aspects. If you don’t know where to read about this, you can purchase books, look online, or even visit your local library for more information. You might be surprised at how much information is out there. You can also ask other growers you know or look on relevant forums.
Feasible options
There are a few different methods you can try if you want to add more of this gas to your room. Here are the types that are pretty much guaranteed to work, under the proper conditions.
Canisters
This is the method you’re probably thinking of or have heard of. It involves getting an actual tank of CO2 and dispensing it into your room. This can be rather costly however, and you have to be careful how you use it.
You will also need a bit of space to store it properly, which can be a big deal if you don’t have a lot of space to begin with. You can pair the canister with a timer or monitor, so it will only release gas in the room at a specific time, or when the amount needs to be replenished.
Bags
Some people opt to use bags that generate CO2. They are filled with a special type of mushroom that essentially breathes carbon dioxide. This is a much cheaper alternative to other methods and is also relatively natural.
You simply open the bag and allow it to exhale all over your room, which is a relatively simple process. They are also easy to hang in the proper place, since they are small and lightweight compared to other options.
Generators
There are products known as CO2 generators. They are complex and they release the gas on command. They don’t do this naturally though, so you’ll usually need some type of fuel source as well.
These products can also be expensive, so make sure you will get a lot of use out of it if you intend to purchase something like this.
Monitor
There are 2 types of CO2 monitors and both will come in handy. One of the types simply measures the amount of gas in the air, which you’ll need to know anyway, and the other type will actually release gas when the CO2 level drops too low.
Either of these options will work wonders for your room and are relatively easy to learn how to use too.
Tips: How to Grow Cannabis Faster with Co2
Even though all plants need CO2 to live, there’s no reason to think that you absolutely have to pump extra in to get your plants to grow. It can help your plants grow bigger, stronger and faster, but everything has to be just right in order for this to happen.
For this reason, adding carbon dioxide should be considered an advanced technique and shouldn’t be attempted until you know enough about growing to be sure that all safety measures and procedures have been handled and proper levels are being met.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you should turn the CO2 off at night, since plants are essentially sleeping. They aren’t using the gas at night, so it’s more beneficial to only use it in your room during the day.
If you’re using a device that has a tank or any type of fuel source, you need to make sure that it is being properly stored. They can be highly flammable, so you want to take special care not to start a fire. If you live in a hot humid climate, this may be something you want to stay away from for this reason.
Finally, you have to be sure that you aren’t breathing in this gas. If you need to go in the room, you may want to go when the gas is turned off or simply wear a mask. Breathing in CO2 isn’t good for humans, since we exhale it with each breath because we don’t need it.
Conclusion
Adding carbon dioxide is a great way to make your plants grow well and ensure that you get a good crop. At the same time, it can be hard to be certain that all your levels are properly met, so you will need to practice and monitor things at all times.
There are also many different ways that you can add gas to your room, and they range in price in order to fit into pretty much any budget. As you learn more growing techniques and become more experienced, this might be something you want to institute regularly.
However, it is important to remember that it isn’t absolutely necessary, so you don’t have to feel bad if you don’t have the money or resources to do so.