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Organic soil and CO2

X15

Well-known member
Does anyone run co2 in their organic soil grow rooms?

Just curious if anyone does and at what parameters.
I dont run any myself in my current organic Grow but wanted to see how people feel about it.
 

Creeperpark

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
Is CO2 in grow room safe?
What indoor growers may not realize is that high levels of CO2 while vital to plants, are dangerous to individuals. It's true. A sealed, closed indoor grow room can trap dangerous levels of carbon dioxide that can lead to severe negative health effects, such as dizziness, unconsciousness, and even fatality. Google

If your plants and grow room are giving you plenty of good buds then I would forget the co2. 😎
 

X15

Well-known member
Is CO2 in grow room safe?
What indoor growers may not realize is that high levels of CO2 while vital to plants, are dangerous to individuals. It's true. A sealed, closed indoor grow room can trap dangerous levels of carbon dioxide that can lead to severe negative health effects, such as dizziness, unconsciousness, and even fatality. Google

If your plants and grow room are giving you plenty of good buds then I would forget the co2. 😎
Yeah definitely can become dangerous! We ran CO2 way back in my dwc days but I have never with Organics. Gives me a nasty headache In low levels.

I connected my grow to the living quarters via intake duct. And there’s always people home. I’ve never measured the CO2 levels in the room, mainly did it for temps and humidity,.. but I like to think my GF’s lazy Adult kids help bump it up a bit. Also don’t run a/c.
 

RockinRobot

Active member
I would guess your plants would have serious nutrient deficiencies if you tried to add CO2. When we run CO2 in a closed room we have to raise the feed levels and temperature level of the room. No way to increase the feed levels in an organic soil grow. The plant enzymes can only break down the soil components so fast.

As for CO2 being dangerous in a closed room. As long as you have a good controller you should have no issues. even if your are running 1500ppm CO2 (which is way to high) you would be fine in there with the plants. CO2 is not like Carbon Monoxide (CO)
 

St. Phatty

Active member
Is CO2 in grow room safe?

We're not talking about 30,000 ppm (3% CO2).

We're talking in the ball park of 1000 ppm.

When I grew indoors, I always supplemented.

There is the possibility of danger. e.g. if you are using Dry Ice, and don't insulate it well, and fall and hit your head. A whole bunch of CO2 is released, it displaces the oxygen = bad situation.

I recommend using Yeast (active dry yeast and champagne yeast), + warm sugar water.


2 pounds of sugar (as in Sucrose), 2 gallons of water, 3 tablespoons of active dry yeast, 1 package of champagne or wine yeast.

it will bubble CO2 for 3 or 4 days, like a really bubbly glass of Coca Cola or Champagne.

Also that should be used in conjunction with serious ventilation, intake fans AND exhaust fans.

Depending on the timing of the fans, some of the CO2 will go out the exhaust fan (wasted).

Since CO2 meters can be expensive, the plant ends up being sort of a meter.

if they end up looking f'ing healthy, that is a good sign.
 
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bigtacofarmer

Well-known member
Veteran
We keep ours at 800 ppm. No problems. Not sure why a soil garden would use co2 different than any other garden as long as the environment right and the plants have what they need.

Up around 1200 ppm I feel everything has to be totally dialed in to keep up with the growth. Read up on VPD.
 

xet

Active member
No way to increase the feed levels in an organic soil grow.
I contest that notion.

The nutritional density of soils can vary as greatly as water and rock vary in density.

Aerated Activated Compost Tea is a sturdy mechanism to matching your garden's daily needs.
89306002_2816692481746915_1238543737811986485_n.jpg
 

X15

Well-known member
Yeah for sure Xet. Ive yet to be able to introduce a compost pile in my hoop house, hopefully thatll Be a plan in the future!
And Teas, yeah buddy!
There’s times I’m feeding a lot of Pre Digesting food.
So this idea of organics being slow to react or whatever is simply inexperience..

Does anyone Grow mushrooms in their rooms?
 
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X15

Well-known member
@St. Phatty Thank You for that info!

May I ask what kind of container you used? Does it foam or just fizz? Thinking in regards to a mesh cover over the top? I’ve got plenty of 5gal buckets w/ lids

I’ll be give that a shot this week. HVAC is firing on all cylinders right now.

Such a great idea!
 

St. Phatty

Active member
@St. Phatty Thank You for that info!

May I ask what kind of container you used? Does it foam or just fizz? Thinking in regards to a mesh cover over the top? I’ve got plenty of 5gal buckets w/ lids

I’ll be give that a shot this week. HVAC is firing on all cylinders right now.

Such a great idea!

I just use a 5 gallon bucket.

Of course, you're not just creating CO2. You're also creating Ethanol, AKA Alcohol.

If you just use sugar, it may not taste great.

You could always bottle it and drop it off at the local homeless encampment when it's done giving off CO2.
 

X15

Well-known member
We keep ours at 800 ppm. No problems. Not sure why a soil garden would use co2 different than any other garden as long as the environment right and the plants have what they need.

Up around 1200 ppm I feel everything has to be totally dialed in to keep up with the growth. Read up on VPD.
Yeah I’m with ya, im not lookin for 1200ppm or even close to that. More curious about people’s experiences with lower levels between say 500-800. But I’m not really on the VPD train. No offense to those who are or anything. I just enjoy growing a variety of genotypes and am very much into saving resources and money when I grow indoor. So I guess I’d say I have learned to appreciate the different phenos as a result of climate and all that shit. I live in a pretty harsh environment dif times of the year a don’t try to fight that fact.
Maybe one day I’ll be able to get more dialed in that aspect. But, currently
there is a time Seasonally when conditions are well suited… and I have found some Girls that seem like they would love just a little more at times.
 

RockinRobot

Active member
Yeah I’m with ya, im not lookin for 1200ppm or even close to that. More curious about people’s experiences with lower levels between say 500-800. But I’m not really on the VPD train. No offense to those who are or anything. I just enjoy growing a variety of genotypes and am very much into saving resources and money when I grow indoor. So I guess I’d say I have learned to appreciate the different phenos as a result of climate and all that shit. I live in a pretty harsh environment dif times of the year a don’t try to fight that fact.
Maybe one day I’ll be able to get more dialed in that aspect. But, currently
there is a time Seasonally when conditions are well suited… and I have found some Girls that seem like they would love just a little more at times.
When I run CO2 I set my controller for 1000ppm. I'm using bottled CO2 and run 2EC nutrient strength. I run about 1.2EC without CO2
 

St. Phatty

Active member
My 4x30 gal soil beds create enough CO2 to keep the room around 600-800ppm.

Assuming it's not a completely sealed room -

do you know what the actual CFM is on the inlet & outlet ducts ?

Not the spec CFM on the fans, the actual air movement.

If you know the duct area and the air velocity, that's a good start.
 
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X15

Well-known member
Assuming it's not a completely sealed room -

do you know what the actual CFM is on the inlet & outlet ducts ?

Not the spec CFM on the fans, the actual air movement.

If you know the duct area and the air velocity, that's a good start.
I took it as that’s a reading with his System in operation.
Would be awesome to know if that’s what’s up though.
 

greyfolded

New member
Assuming it's not a completely sealed room -

do you know what the actual CFM is on the inlet & outlet ducts ?

Not the spec CFM on the fans, the actual air movement.

If you know the duct area and the air velocity, that's a good start.
It’s pretty much a sealed room. Air comes in when the propane heater kicks on, or when I open the windows.
 

moses wellfleet

Well-known member
Moderator
Veteran
Nobody has yet mentioned that organic soil produces co2. So depending on the volume of soil in your containers versus the size of your grow space and plant numbers, you possibly already have more than enough co2.

Compost was mentioned, and compost is a component of a good organic soil mix.
 
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