First Year Growth

[jimmiej48]

Last I saw this was not a co2 subject.. I won't spend my money on a tent or a co2 system I vow to grow without it and know mother nature never used a co2 bottle...... seriously not needed to grow great meds

[trichcycler]

good points to ponder!

I didn't want to like c02, but I run a sealed room, and besides me breathing(which is a lot of c02 actually) there's little fresh air exchange. Instead the air is meticulously scrubbed and re used, requiring a c02 augmentation. . I first grew with outside air, and you're right, its successful with good exchange. But then decided to seal it up, and according to my meters c02 was quickly depleted by the plants within hours to a much lower than they need ppm of 150-250ppm. I know they prefer a constant 400+ppm, and can consume 1500ppmdepending on temps/metabolism, and at leaf level its near impossible to exchange that much air each moment and even 1500ppms in the room barely keeps leaf level at 500ppm. For 15 bucks a month it brings my garden to full fruition. Its the kinds of changes that I read about in those professional gardens around the world. Every other parameter is automated, baseboard Heating,  cooling, RH, and c02 are all digi and never get changed. I run the temps suggested in Jorge Cervantes grow bible.

 

for those of us experiencing garden success, I'd say don't change a thing !  Do what works for best results. I think comparing garden habits this way shows us there are many ways to accomplish the feat, all with varying success stories. Thanks everyone for sharing

I can appreciate that you feel that you've seen benefits from CO2.  I haven't.  And maybe it is because I use a rock-solid RDWC system....and have always been a believer that there is a way to offer a plant what it needs in low concentrations at a high recirculating volume rather than force what you want upon it in high concentrations and hope that it will respond.  I have run my DWC at anywhere from around 400 ppm to 1400 ppm and haven't seen any difference in growth rate....or 55 degrees temps clear through to about 110F....  and I've used CO2, stagnant air, and high volumes of refreshed air...and what I found was that HEAT made the difference.  How did I figure this out?  I ran my natural gas CO2 generator for a couple of months...had the flower room hitting 90+ degrees at 1500 ppm..and then shut down the CO2 generator and actually installed an electric heater to maintain the same temps....and you know what?  I had consistent results....So a high temp  flower room with high Co2 was producing the same as a high temp flower room with un-augmented CO2...with other parameters in the "ideal range."    Seems compelling.    So the anecdotal conclusion was that it wasn't the CO2 that made a difference.  It was elevated temps, which encourage increased nute/water uptake and therefore growth.  I have found that my best yield and quality occur in the summer when my room hits 110+ with lights on but I keep the RDWC nute temps in-line.  I wanted to be a believer in CO2.  So maybe it turns out that if your garden is already dialed-in, then CO2 won't help...but if your garden lacks in some area...then maybe the CO2 helps bridge the gap.  In my view, and based on my experience (which is kinda extensive), CO2 is somewhat of a misnomer and indirect benefit.

 

Try this some time.  Flower at 100+ degrees ambient temps while keeping roots under 70 degrees F.  This requires some work.   You might decide that it really isn't CO2 that boosts your plants after all....that maybe the higher temps encourage accelerated water/nute uptake and therefore growth.  Or maybe not.  I'm just telling you what I have seen work.  If this doesn't work for you, then by all means keep paying to generate CO2.  Myself, I see the value only in the heat, which accelerates metabolism.  If you provide a high-volume air exchange and high volume nute exchange then the plants reaches its own potential...and will absorb as much Co2 from the air and nutes from your solution as it needs to keep up with whatever amount of heat and light you provide.. This is just based on my own experience.  Yours might vary.  But I encourage you to explore this variance and try to determine if you're over-killing your effort with regard to CO2. 

 

I realize that CO2 has been used in greenhouses for many years, but let's look a little closer....There is a huge difference between using Co2 to try to augment growth of tomatoes and cucumbers vs. accelerating/improving the growth of cannabis. 

[jimmiej48]

Here is a couple pics 40 days in..

Strain og kush thinking she might go longer then 60 days...