CO2 control

The natural level of CO2 in our atmosphere is around 350-600 PPM (parts per million). It tends to be higher in cities and lower in rural areas.
In the ancient times of dinosaurs and giant plants, CO2 levels were significantly higher, around 1500 PPM. To some extent, light is the limiting factor for growth. It is true that the more light, the higher the level of photosynthesis and the faster and more massive the plant growth. From a certain light level (approx. 800 mXXX/S) the CO2 level needs to be increased so that the plants are able to process higher doses of light. The ratio of light and CO2 should be approximately 1:1 (see illustrative graph). It makes sense to increase the CO2 level up to 1500PPM (it is possible to go higher, but the possible benefits decrease rapidly and the risk of problems increases exponentially. At higher levels of CO2 and light, the temperature needs to be increased up to 32°C). Higher light levels and higher CO2 levels lead to higher yields. Of course, all other factors must be optimal. Using CO2 speeds up the metabolism and any imperfection or deficiency can be fatal. It is recommended to have all key factors set correctly, the process tested, and only then experiment with CO2.

CO2 supply options for the grow room

The methods of supplying CO2 are quite wide. From primitive procedures for home conditions to sophisticated centrally controlled automated systems. Options include CO2 tablets in water, CO2 bombs with periodic injection, bags with mushrooms that produce and release CO2, CO2 bombs with a dispenser that releases the gas at regular intervals according to the dimensions of the room, precise CO2 meters that give an impulse to a device (a dispenser bomb or a burner) that increases the CO2 level in the room to the level set by the grower.

The use of CO2 has 2 main pitfalls. Since CO2 is heavier than air, it tends to sink, "roll" on the floor or drain away. That is why it is important to use circulation fans, ideally not only in the horizontal but also vertical plane, to disperse and mix the air throughout the grow room. If you have an exhaust fan, the supplied CO2 also disappears with the extracted air. When the fans are turned off, the temperature and humidity increase. Some growers solve this problem with ventilation intervals (after injecting CO2, the fans are turned off for a certain time), some with a separate circuit for the lights (using cooltubs, or separating the lights with glass and creating ventilated sections), some simply add CO2 and accept the fact of losses. A truly sophisticated solution is provided by the use of air conditioning, in our case mainly the Opticlimate unit. The CO2 sensor measures the current CO2 level, the dispenser increases it to the set level and the air conditioning unit adjusts the temperature and humidity to the desired ideal values. The stability of the system allows you to grow your favorite plants in maximum quality and with a yield up to 30-40% higher (some say even more, but we believe it is better to keep promises to the ground).