Carbon Dioxide use of plants

[El Presidente Hillbillios]

Hey all,

I have read that Carbon Dioxide is used to boost growth in aquatic plants. I was wondering if any one had heard about this or had any experience with using CO2 for regular plants.

I have an empty fish tank that i use to start my baby plants in the cold weather and its right next to my home brew. Any ideas if the CO2 from the home brew could be used to boost my baby's growth?

Thanks all Hillbilly.

[Jesus On Peyote]

Iv read alot about CO2 helping with marijuana growth, iv got no idea on how its administrated, dosed or what tools you can use to monitor the Co2 levels, but im sure ittle be the same for most if not all other plants.

So yea, co2 does play a role in plant growth, but to what extent and how its monitored is beyond me.

[occidentalis]

I used to have a similar set up for growing aquatic plants in my fish tank. I had a tank of beer fermenting next to it, and a hose coming out of the airlock which fed into the air supply that was pumped into the tank. It definitely improved the growth of the plants.

There is a big difference when you are transferring that idea to the air, because the amount of CO2 that is normally in water is very low, so it's easy to make a big difference. However, I think that if you had a cranking home brew tank going you probably could make a difference if you are feeding the CO2 into a sealed (or nearly sealed) container. Normal air contains less than 1% CO2, and given how much a nicely fermenting home brew can bubble, I think you could easily produce a few % worth of an aquarium's volume of air, effectively doubling or tripling the CO2 content. It would be worth a try and the results could be really interesting. On top of that, you'd be sequestering the carbon produced by your beer - totally green .

[TheFriendlyPlanter]

Maybe try soda bulbs. AFAIK they contain the dreaded CO2. Maybe put a mushroom kit in there with 'em as they expire CO2 and break down their growing medium releasing CO2

[Lachy]

I too have heard of using an external CO2 source to green up plants - although, I have to admit, I've only ever heard of it being used in illicit grow-ops. For the purposes of this advice, I am going to assume that is not your goal, and you're growing orchids, carnivorous plants or other delicates.

I'd say it is definitely worth directing the CO2 flow from your brewing to the plants, even if it's only an experiment. In a sealed tank, the results may be quite dramatic, as all the examples I've heard of have used very low amounts of CO2 in relatively open air, and certainly not in a sealed fishtank. I also like the idea of minimising your beers' carbon footprint... hey, every little bit helps, right?

[nabraxas]

i know a guy who regularly used to let off a CO2 fire extinguisher in his grow room. He reckoned it gave good results.

Edited July 27, 2008 by nabraxas

[WoodDragon]

Commercial greenhouses are often sealed to allow carbon dioxide supplementation, up to 1000ppm compared with an ambient level of about 380ppm. However, to be of any use usually other nutrients and other factors that increase growth must be at optimum levels also. This can be difficult and impractical in a home setting, although a small increase over basal growth might be achieved without too much work.

If you're looking to increase 'effectiveness' of indoor-grown plants, keep in mind that rapid growth isn't always associated with accumulation of the effective principles!