Producing CO2

Marijuana Horticulture

by Jorge Cervantes

There are many ways to raise the Co2 content of an enclosed grow room. The two most popular ways are to disperse it from a tank or burn a fuel to manufacture it. Carbon dioxide is one of the byproducts f combustion. Growers can burn any fossil (carbon-based) fuel to produce Co2 except for those containing sulfur dioxide and ethylene, which are harmful to plants. Carbon dioxide gas is a by-product of fermentation and organic decomposition.

The CO2 level near the ground of a rain forest covered with decaying organic matter could be two to three times as high as normal, but bringing a compost pile inside to cook down is not practical. Dry ice is made from frozen CO2. The CO2 is released when dry ice comes in contact with the atmosphere. It can get expensive and be a lot of trouble to keep a large room constantly supplied with dry ice. It is difficult to calculate how much CO2 is released into the air without purchasing expensive equipment.