SUPPLEMENTAL CO2
T
he greatest advantage of indoor
horticulture is having ultimate
control over light cycles, nutrition, and
atmospheric conditions. A grower should
do everything in his or her power to
make sure their growroom’s lighting,
nutrition, temperature, and humidity
are precise and consistent. After all, it
is only when a plant has access to sufficient light and balanced nutrients, and
is provided with the appropriate atmospheric conditions, that it will be able to
achieve its full potential.
Once an indoor horticulturist dials in
these crucial factors, he or she can take
the next step toward maximizing the
garden’s productivity. This can be done
by supplementing CO2 into the garden’s
atmosphere. Higher levels of CO2 have
been shown to significantly increase
plants’ growth rates and, therefore, the
garden’s yield. On average, ambient air
has around 350-450 ppm of CO2 (it can
be greater in urban areas with more
air pollution). A grower who wishes to
gain all the benefits associated with
enriched CO2 levels will typically
increase CO2 levels to 1,000-1,500 ppm.
This enrichment can be achieved by a
few different methods combined with
specialized CO2 control devices.
CO2 AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Plants are unique creatures because
they can directly convert light energy
into usable energy for growth.
This phenomenon is known as
photosynthesis, which can be using the
chemical equation:
6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy = C6H12O6 + 6O2.
"
A grower who
WISHES TO GAIN ALL THE
BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH
ENRICHED CO2 LEVELS WILL
TYPICALLY INCREASE CO2
LEVELS TO 1,000-1,500 PPM.�
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Maximum Yield USA | January 2017