CO2 - best time to use

harris hawk said:

When is the best time to use CO2 - realize it's best to use at all stages of growth -but if use is limited would use it in flower stage?. Your thoughts on CO2 and use of - THANKS !!

Click to expand...

ServingSize1oz said:

I disagree with the fact that if not using 600w or better there is no difference. It undoubtedly has benefits even on one plant under a 150w, they're simply less because you're only growing one plant. Having that ideal ppms with a 400w and 300ppms in two different grow rooms with all other variables the same the 1500ppm plant would obviously grow faster. C02 increases the maximum amount of lumens the plant can use, and a 400w bulb still has the capacity to provide over 9000 lumens per square inch.

Click to expand...

deadgro said:

Undoubtedly.. Obviously.. It's all anecdotal since every plant is different. I've yet to see any scientific, variable-controlled studies supporting the benefits of adding co2 or amending the atmosphere.

FYI, plants use photons, not lumens.

Click to expand...

deadgro said:

Undoubtedly.. Obviously.. It's all anecdotal since every plant is different. I've yet to see any scientific, variable-controlled studies supporting the benefits of adding co2 or amending the atmosphere.

FYI, plants use photons, not lumens.

Click to expand...

a mongo frog said:

whats this about? I'm confused here.

Click to expand...

ServingSize1oz said:

And a 600w doesn't produce a greater ratio of photons to a 400w. And yeah, no scientific evidence whatsoever. Use google .

http://plantsinaction.science.uq.ed...1-4-light-and-co2-effects-leaf-photosynthesis

Before you try and be a dick, at least be more informed than a guy that's been here a week.

Click to expand...

deadgro said:

I didn't mean for my op to come off as rude, just stating facts.

I said ADDED and AMENDED. As in, adding or changing the amount of co2 that's already in the air. The air around us has plenty of co2 available for plants to use.

Click to expand...

• Bright Light - Your cannabis plants need a lot of light for CO2 to be effective at speeding up growth and increasing yields. As far as light intensity, we're talking about the kind of light produced by a 1000W HID grow light. CO2 only helps plants make more energy from bright light, so it won't help if you have low light levels.
  
  
• Enough CO2 - You must be able to maintain 1200-1500 PPM of CO2 in the grow area or it won't help your plants.
  
  
• Sealed Grow Space - You must be able to completely seal your grow space so CO2 can't get out.
  
  
• Temperature - You should maintain temperatures between 85°F (30°C) and 95°F (35°C) in your grow space for CO2 to be most effective.
  
  
• Humidity - You must keep humidity below 60-70% to prevent mold and other problems, but keeping humidity low can be difficult with a sealed room while running CO2. You may need to get a dehumidifier.

• Bigger Yields, Faster Growth - If you’ve maxed out the other limiting factors (especially light), CO2 can make your plants grow up to 20% faster, produce bigger plants, and enhance your yields.
  
  
• Higher Temperature is Okay - Maintaining 1200-1500 PPM of CO2 in the grow area allows growers to keep temperatures much higher than normal. For growers with hot bright lights, this makes it easier to keep temps at a range their plants will like.
  
  
• Security - CO2 enrichment can be beneficial for security since you’re not venting out smelly air (you must seal off the grow area for CO2 supplementation to be effective)

• Need Bright Lights - As far as light intensity is concerned, it's recommended that plants receive 7,500-10,000 lumens of light per sq foot for CO2 enrichment to be effective. To give you an idea...
  Examples:
  ~600W HPS in a 3'x3' space
  ~1000W HPS in a 4'x4' space
  
  
• Must Seal the Grow Area - In order to keep CO2 near the plants, you must seal up grow area so it’s airtight, which can make it harder to manage temperature and humidity
  
  
• Cost - It can be expensive to get started if you want to inject enough CO2 into your grow area to be effective. The best setups in the long run are a bit pricey to get started with, though they become a lot cheaper once you've got your initial supplies.

• Fast & Healthy growth

• No Nutrient Problems

• No Pest Problems

• You've maxed out what you can do with plant training

dbdweller said:

Here are some factors to consider if CO2 will work for your cannabis garden. Its what we went by to get us up and running with co2. Like i say i am not the scientist... but i do have to believe one....
But like the saying going take what you want and leave what you do not want. But we have also found out that 600W will do it too.

For CO2 to work, you need....

• Bright Light - Your cannabis plants need a lot of light for CO2 to be effective at speeding up growth and increasing yields. As far as light intensity, we're talking about the kind of light produced by a 1000W HID grow light. CO2 only helps plants make more energy from bright light, so it won't help if you have low light levels.
  
  
• Enough CO2 - You must be able to maintain 1200-1500 PPM of CO2 in the grow area or it won't help your plants.
  
  
• Sealed Grow Space - You must be able to completely seal your grow space so CO2 can't get out.
  
  
• Temperature - You should maintain temperatures between 85°F (30°C) and 95°F (35°C) in your grow space for CO2 to be most effective.
  
  
• Humidity - You must keep humidity below 60-70% to prevent mold and other problems, but keeping humidity low can be difficult with a sealed room while running CO2. You may need to get a dehumidifier.

Beware! Some people (especially companies selling poor CO2 products) will try to trick you into thinking that CO2 is some magical supplement you add to your grow room to make plants grow better. Unfortunately this is not the case! There are good ways to add CO2... and there are ineffective ways.

Pros and Cons of Using CO2 for Growng Cannabis

Benefits of Adding Extra CO2

• Bigger Yields, Faster Growth - If you’ve maxed out the other limiting factors (especially light), CO2 can make your plants grow up to 20% faster, produce bigger plants, and enhance your yields.
  
  
• Higher Temperature is Okay - Maintaining 1200-1500 PPM of CO2 in the grow area allows growers to keep temperatures much higher than normal. For growers with hot bright lights, this makes it easier to keep temps at a range their plants will like.
  
  
• Security - CO2 enrichment can be beneficial for security since you’re not venting out smelly air (you must seal off the grow area for CO2 supplementation to be effective)

Disadvantages of Adding Extra CO2

• Need Bright Lights - As far as light intensity is concerned, it's recommended that plants receive 7,500-10,000 lumens of light per sq foot for CO2 enrichment to be effective. To give you an idea...
  Examples:
  ~600W HPS in a 3'x3' space
  ~1000W HPS in a 4'x4' space
  
  
• Must Seal the Grow Area - In order to keep CO2 near the plants, you must seal up grow area so it’s airtight, which can make it harder to manage temperature and humidity
  
  
• Cost - It can be expensive to get started if you want to inject enough CO2 into your grow area to be effective. The best setups in the long run are a bit pricey to get started with, though they become a lot cheaper once you've got your initial supplies.

How Do Cannabis Plants Use CO2?

CO2 is short for "Carbon Dioxide," an odorless gas that’s in the air you’re breathing right now.

In fact, humans take in oxygen and let out carbon dioxide with every breath.
How can cannabis growers use CO2 to increase cannabis yields? CO2 can increase your yields and growth by up to 20%, but a lot of people use CO2 the wrong way so they aren't getting any of the benefits.

Cannabis plants use CO2 when they're making energy from light, so without CO2 there's no photosynthesis or growth. However, most of the time there's already more than enough CO2 in the air for your plants. If your plant doesn't need more CO2, it won't help to add more.

For most indoor grows, there's already more CO2 in the air than your plants can use

But things are different when your space is bright. When there's more light than a cannabis plant can naturally use, supplying more CO2 can help your plants use more of that light. Getting more energy from the same amount of light results in faster growth.


Because of how this works, CO2 only increases growth when your cannabis plants are under very bright light (like the light from a 1000W HPS). But CO2 can be expensive. So before you ever think about adding CO2, it's a good idea to have completely optimized your cannabis grow space.

light as your plants can use (or more)

• Fast & Healthy growth

• No Nutrient Problems

• No Pest Problems

• You've maxed out what you can do with plant training

These things will all make a huge difference in your yields, often more than the gains you could get from CO2.

But after all that, adding CO2 may be the logical next step to get even more from your cannabis garden.

Because of all the misinformation out there, so many cannabis growers have wasted a lot of money on ineffective CO2 methods. I want to help growers understood exactly how CO2 enrichment works. That way you can set it up the right way and enjoy the benefits!

After years of research and study by commercial greenhouse growers, we've learned exactly what's needed to get the benefits of extra CO2.

Click to expand...

dbdweller said:

I have heard about them. i guess they have a ball park of about 2 week life span. What i have heard that they bring the ppm to 1200 for a 12x12x12 area.

I have not know anyone who has used one, but i have not heard anything bad about them either.

harris kawk you have 5 500 watts going in a 2.5x3 ft space. They must be able to see that in space. Such a confined area for so much light its like a flashlight lol

Click to expand...