CO2 and Hydroponics

It is commonly known that plants and humans have a symbiotic relationship. Humans use oxygen and create CO2 (carbon dioxide) and plants use CO2 and emit oxygen into the air. It is frequently stated that talking to your flowers, herbs or vegetables helps them to grow and this could be due to the release of CO2 by individuals direct onto the leaves which boosts their intake of CO2 which subsequently boosts growth, by elevating photosynthesis.

Presently in the organic world CO2 is all about plants and they develop effectively, however hydroponic growing is different because it does not require the utilisation of soil, and alternatively uses water and nutrients to facilitate plant growth. Still this would all be ineffective if the CO2 amount in the room was not at the suitable level. Less CO2 means reduced growth for the plants and consequently additional CO2 means more growth.

The volume of CO2 existing in air is around 400-450 ppm (parts per million), and so if one raised the volume of CO2 where plants are cultivated hydroponically one should expect further growth in plants. However as with a lot of things in life it is not entirely as easy as that. Having too much CO2 can also be harmful to plant growth. Therefore that’s where the gadgets come in. CO2 meters are generally purchased from virtually any hydroponic supplier and measure the level of CO2 in your grow room. You will find different ways of boosting the level of CO2 in your hydroponic system but which you select will depend on the scale of your shed or room.

The following is a simple overview of the most popular methods.

CO2 Control Unit – These are units that measure the level of CO2 in the room and can be set to increase venting from the outside, to elevate the amount of CO2 up to the level you want.
• Monitors the level of CO2 and triggers vents as required hence increases automation of the system.
• Can be pricey depending on what system you make up your mind to go for.
CO2 boosts – These are a selection of ingredients that are usually added to the system and generate CO2.
• Fairly inexpensive.
• Best used half an hour after the lights are switched on, or half an hour before they are switched off.
• Fans cannot be employed as they are going to take away the produced CO2. Which might be challenging if the temperature has risen.
• Might be difficult to control the amounts of CO2 obtained depending on the quantity added.

CO2 Canisters – A CO2 canister can be used to boost the level of CO2 controllers can be used to release the gas when it reaches a lower level.
• More suitable for more substantial hydroponics units.
• Must be used during the light period and the fans should not be used otherwise the CO2 released will be extracted from the room.
• Costly and entails time and effort in acquiring the canisters and getting them refilled.
• Can be weighty but are easily bought in aluminium canisters to minimise this.