co2; expensive or inexpensive...just do it!

[onenumcat]

CHEAP CO2

one large(more than a liter)sealable container, I use a 1.5-2 liter plastic bottle.
about 3/5 water
about 1/5 urine
1-2 cup sugar(for 1-2 liters container)
1/5 should remain empty

although I did do research while germinating and when plants were real small, still am, lol, co2 seems to be really important during vegging. apparently co2 levels were much higher during mj's evolution than at present. co2 levels were 30% higher than now during the dinosaurs reign, probably due to volcanic activity.

anyway, this is how I am primarily providing co2 to my plants. as I live in, for me, a foreign country, I wouldn't even know where to buy co2 in tanks, including regulators/timers, or whatever. getting help from somebody would only draw attention I don't want. same thing with dry ice. even vinegar and baking soda seems to expensive for a cheapskate like me, lol.

all the above methods seem to be really good, I would choose dry ice, if I could, as it seems to have the best effectiveness to cost ratio...if you know where to buy it and have someplace to store it, a freezer in yer garage or something.

I will add some pictures so you'll understand how I am doing this.

1. I pee in an empty container. I don't measure it or anything, go ahead and do that if you like, lol. the container should be rinsed and have a sealable top...it will be used later.

2. add tap water, warm would probably be more effective in making the sugar soluable.

3. add your sugar. you could probably substitute corn syrup, it may be cheaper.

4. shake that solution, leave it open in your grow room, preferably with the top higher than the plants or amongst the foliage like I do.

the pictures go in order 1-4. after shaking this solution there, probably, will be little or no bubbles. urine color depends on your diet, so don't worry if the color isn't 'right'. there will be little or no smell, depending again on your piss, your diet. I have 2 or 3 of these solutions on my grow table in different stages so some co2 is available at all times. I am uncertain as to wether or not co2 is continuously escaping the containers(possibly a little, but the effects are more pronounced by shaking it), however, I shake them everyday, during the day cycle, in the 'morning'. be sure the cap is securely on when shaking, then slowly take it off. it will pop, just like a soda. don't make holes in the top or anything. if you're worried about spilling sweet pee, haha, in your grow area, suspend it with string from the ceiling by the neck or something...set it in a container less likely to tip over.

bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, thats why the top portion is empty. I found out the hard way, foamed over the top. It will take a day or two for a fresh batch to form bubbles by shaking...without shaking there are never any bubbles.

these pics are a fresh batch.

 

[onenumcat]

pic 1 is about a 5 day old solution, just shaken.
pic 2 is the same solution 10 minutes later. almost the same amount of bubbles.

this solution will last about 7-10 days. the amount of co2 produced is unknown.

I am in no way suggesting to pee, put urine on foliage or in the soil, or to have this solution touching the plant or soil. if that happens, its on you, not me.

I am using a portable kerosene heater for supplemental heating in the grow room, it's unusually cold for october. its the norm for heating where I live (no central heating/air for most housing). burning kerosene also produces co2. damn fire trucks drive by at all hours reminding ppl to ventilate their houses/sleeping areas during winter, as the majority of us sleep on the floor or at floor level and co2 it toxic to humans in large quantities, on a loud speaker!

co2 is heavier than many compounds in the air, the carbon molecule makes it so, it sinks.

also, plants don't use co2 when its dark, some may stick to the foliage, but don't bother shaking the solution in the night cycle. in fact, stay outta the grow room when its dark! any co2 will collect at floor level and be used during daylight hrs.

a fan is very important for this reason. the co2 needs to be up where the leaves are, its wasted on the floor. my fan is only on 15 min every hour, but I go in there at least 10x a day. ventilation is also important, or some type of air exchange, even if you're using a fan for circulation.

so, pic 3 is of the grow room with the heater and fan shown. any heat source should not be directed onto the plants, they will wither and possibly die. I'm only experimenting with the kerosene heater at present. its directed away from the plants, towards the fan, which is also not directed at the plants but at a wall where the wind will dissipate. as I am using cfls, very little heat is produced and this seems to be a very cold winter for me, I use a small electric ceramic heater to maintain heat, @30 degrees Celsius. humidity remains around 40%. also, by placing a tea pot on the kerosene heater, steam is produced, ie; humidity increase.

if you look at my album you'll see some bottles of this solution amongst my crop. if you try this let me know what you think and if you get good results show some pics. I'm happy with what I see in my plants.

 

[dogglet forever]

pic 1 my homemade c02 dealy 10 pounds sugar 3 packets this yeast bought at a wine making shop 3 gallons water... last about 3 weeks... but only 2 weeks of full bore good production...

it costs about 10.00 bucks to reload... so now i'm abandoning this method and ordering a tank off ebay..l. and going to a wine shop or resturant supply, AIR GAS NEXAIR medical gas supply, to fill cost about 50.00 bucks but lasts longer and is more consistant than the yeast co2 gen

i also tried some other bottles the rubbing alcohol lasted 3 days.. i also used a gallon Carlos Rossi jug it lasted about a week.

i'm in different on this method if i were only growing in small box it would be perfect... but i want to have smoke and make some back on my investment to keep it going so ican get better and better... so i'm going with the Co2 tank and reg.

 

[greenleaftoker]

+ rep.. Really useful for someone like me too, don't really have access to alot of the shit used for CO2.

Appreciate it.

 

[gotot]

CHEAP CO2

one large(more than a liter)sealable container, I use a 1.5-2 liter plastic bottle.
about 3/5 water
about 1/5 urine
1-2 cup sugar(for 1-2 liters container)
1/5 should remain empty

although I did do research while germinating and when plants were real small, still am, lol, co2 seems to be really important during vegging. apparently co2 levels were much higher during mj's evolution than at present. co2 levels were 30% higher than now during the dinosaurs reign, probably due to volcanic activity.

anyway, this is how I am primarily providing co2 to my plants. as I live in, for me, a foreign country, I wouldn't even know where to buy co2 in tanks, including regulators/timers, or whatever. getting help from somebody would only draw attention I don't want. same thing with dry ice. even vinegar and baking soda seems to expensive for a cheapskate like me, lol.

all the above methods seem to be really good, I would choose dry ice, if I could, as it seems to have the best effectiveness to cost ratio...if you know where to buy it and have someplace to store it, a freezer in yer garage or something.

I will add some pictures so you'll understand how I am doing this.

1. I pee in an empty container. I don't measure it or anything, go ahead and do that if you like, lol. the container should be rinsed and have a sealable top...it will be used later.

2. add tap water, warm would probably be more effective in making the sugar soluable.

3. add your sugar. you could probably substitute corn syrup, it may be cheaper.

4. shake that solution, leave it open in your grow room, preferably with the top higher than the plants or amongst the foliage like I do.

the pictures go in order 1-4. after shaking this solution there, probably, will be little or no bubbles. urine color depends on your diet, so don't worry if the color isn't 'right'. there will be little or no smell, depending again on your piss, your diet. I have 2 or 3 of these solutions on my grow table in different stages so some co2 is available at all times. I am uncertain as to wether or not co2 is continuously escaping the containers(possibly a little, but the effects are more pronounced by shaking it), however, I shake them everyday, during the day cycle, in the 'morning'. be sure the cap is securely on when shaking, then slowly take it off. it will pop, just like a soda. don't make holes in the top or anything. if you're worried about spilling sweet pee, haha, in your grow area, suspend it with string from the ceiling by the neck or something...set it in a container less likely to tip over.

bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, thats why the top portion is empty. I found out the hard way, foamed over the top. It will take a day or two for a fresh batch to form bubbles by shaking...without shaking there are never any bubbles.

these pics are a fresh batch.

im pretty new to this growing thing but how can you regulate or possibly know how much co2 your emmitting and when it is exhausted? i just went out and spent the 200 dollars for the regulator and the 200 dollars for the tank,expensive but i think it's worth it. seltzer water works just as well(maybe better?)

 

[onenumcat]

pic 1 my homemade c02 dealy 10 pounds sugar 3 packets this yeast bought at a wine making shop 3 gallons water... last about 3 weeks... but only 2 weeks of full bore good production...

it costs about 10.00 bucks to reload...

so it cost $10 every 3 wks before...how much will co2 tank and accessories plus refills, and how often, cost? just curious, not comparing it to my costs. like I said, wish the tanked co2 was feasible for me. anyway, at least you're using the co2...good luck with it.

 

[onenumcat]

+ rep.. Really useful for someone like me too, don't really have access to alot of the shit used for CO2.

Appreciate it.

thanks for the rep. any co2 addition will increase growth and flowering...according to research. use whatever method you can get or afford. good luck with your grow.

 

[gotot]

so it cost $10 every 3 wks before...how much will co2 tank and accessories plus refills, and how often, cost? just curious, not comparing it to my costs. like I said, wish the tanked co2 was feasible for me. anyway, at least you're using the co2...good luck with it.

200$ for the regulator(and timer), 200$ for the tank - 30$ for returning the tank for me

 

[onenumcat]

im pretty new to this growing thing but how can you regulate or possibly know how much co2 your emmitting and when it is exhausted? i just went out and spent the 200 dollars for the regulator and the 200 dollars for the tank,expensive but i think it's worth it. seltzer water works just as well(maybe better?)

as I said, during the evolution of cannabis, the co2 levels are estimated at being 20% higher than present day. I know I am not producing 20% more co2, so there is little danger of overkill, in my situation. to answer yer question, I can't regulate it...just produce it. as to exhaustion...when there are no more bubbles, I assume there is no more production, flush that batch down the toilet and mix a new one. now I have 3 batches in different stages in the room. ventilation is provided by me, manually. I enter the room, open the door...about 6 ft/2 m wide, turn the fan on high, redirected out of the room, now it should be normal air in the room. when I close the door/exit the room, I reset everything and let it go.

I wish I could get the compressed co2 also, but I'm cheap and it may cause me difficulties with friends or in the community.

good luck with your grow, I'm sure it will be great with compressed co2!

 

[gotot]

as I said, during the evolution of cannabis, the co2 levels are estimated at being 20% higher than present day. I know I am not producing 20% more co2, so there is little danger of overkill, in my situation. to answer yer question, I can't regulate it...just produce it. as to exhaustion...when there are no more bubbles, I assume there is no more production, flush that batch down the toilet and mix a new one. now I have 3 batches in different stages in the room. ventilation is provided by me, manually. I enter the room, open the door...about 6 ft/2 m wide, turn the fan on high, redirected out of the room, now it should be normal air in the room. when I close the door/exit the room, I reset everything and let it go.

I wish I could get the compressed co2 also, but I'm cheap and it may cause me difficulties with friends or in the community.

good luck with your grow, I'm sure it will be great with compressed co2!

wait, so you know all the co2's gone when you shake it up and there's no foam? i'm using a bookcase for a vegetative growroom so this sounds like a solution

 

[onenumcat]

200$ for the regulator(and timer), 200$ for the tank - 30$ for returning the tank for me

how often do you estimate having to refill? how much longer do you estimate to harvest completion? what are you growing?

I'm just growing bagseed, so don't think compressed co2 is even a viable solution for me, all thing being equal.

 

[onenumcat]

wait, so you know all the co2's gone when you shake it up and there's no foam? i'm using a bookcase for a vegetative growroom so this sounds like a solution

honestly, I don't know anything. I am assuming that when I can't see a reaction in the solution any longer, that there is no reaction. its like baking soda and vinegar, put baking soda in a container, pour vinegar on it and watch it bubble. if that reaction stops try pouring more vinegar in it, if there are more bubbles...its still working. pour more vinegar in it and if there aren't any bubbles, then its not producing co2.

by the way, I'm growing 12 plants in a small room. I wish I could get the compressed co2, really. this, cheap, method is good enough for me. I'd assume a bookcase arrangement wouldn't have more than 3 plants, so this would probably work, and be a better economic solution, for you. or one of the other cheap solutions, ie; vinegar + baking soda(or whatever you call it where you're from, lol), yeast + sugar(or corn syrup, molasses), and water. also, burning kerosene or natural gas produces co2. so does gasoline and diesel, but they include carbon monoxide...probably kill yer plants, besides running yer lawnmower in yer room probably ain't too smart, lol!

 

[onenumcat]

seltzer water works just as well(maybe better?)

seems seltzer water would go flat in a matter of hours, like a coke. just a thought. also, how much seltzer water would you calculate a person would need per plant, per hour. I don't wanna even try to calculate that, but it seems it would run into a lot more $ than I wanna spend and I'm not sure it would be effective.

keep in mind though, this is all just a theory for me. I do know this solution, chemically, produces co2. that is the one thing I do know, lol.

my cost now is only for sugar...that stuff is real cheap. I think I'm buying/will buy, about a kilo of sugar every couple of weeks. it may total a dollar or two a week...pee is free!

 

[gotot]

how often do you estimate having to refill? how much longer do you estimate to harvest completion? what are you growing?

I'm just growing bagseed, so don't think compressed co2 is even a viable solution for me, all thing being equal.

well for 800 cubic centimeters it takes .2(some pressure measurment used on the regulator) for 15 minutes per hour to max the room at 1500ppm(with leakage considered) this is 5 times the amount of co2 in the air. this can promote growth up to 6 times faster;maybe i misunderstood your question of what am i growing but it really doesn't matter what your growing as long at it's a plant. CO2 increases the rate of photosynthesis for any plant which in turn creates faster growth. as for how often the tank need to be refilled, i'd say 4 to 5 months(with constant on and off usage) maybe longer, i'm still on my first tank, been using it for about two weeks and it feels just as heavy as the day i brought it.

 

[gotot]

honestly, I don't know anything. I am assuming that when I can't see a reaction in the solution any longer, that there is no reaction. its like baking soda and vinegar, put baking soda in a container, pour vinegar on it and watch it bubble. if that reaction stops try pouring more vinegar in it, if there are more bubbles...its still working. pour more vinegar in it and if there aren't any bubbles, then its not producing co2.

by the way, I'm growing 12 plants in a small room. I wish I could get the compressed co2, really. this, cheap, method is good enough for me. I'd assume a bookcase arrangement wouldn't have more than 3 plants, so this would probably work, and be a better economic solution, for you. or one of the other cheap solutions, ie; vinegar + baking soda(or whatever you call it where you're from, lol), yeast + sugar(or corn syrup, molasses), and water. also, burning kerosene or natural gas produces co2. so does gasoline and diesel, but they include carbon monoxide...probably kill yer plants, besides running yer lawnmower in yer room probably ain't too smart, lol!

ha yea, a lawnmower anywhere besides outside isn't a good idea. and the bookcase is just for my seedlings(basically anything under and around a foot) very cramped, i haven't figured out what i'm going to do when they get bigger because my other plants will be flowering

 

[gotot]

seems seltzer water would go flat in a matter of hours, like a coke. just a thought. also, how much seltzer water would you calculate a person would need per plant, per hour. I don't wanna even try to calculate that, but it seems it would run into a lot more $ than I wanna spend and I'm not sure it would be effective.

keep in mind though, this is all just a theory for me. I do know this solution, chemically, produces co2. that is the one thing I do know, lol.

my cost now is only for sugar...that stuff is real cheap. I think I'm buying/will buy, about a kilo of sugar every couple of weeks. it may total a dollar or two a week...pee is free!

yea im not too sure about the seltzer, i just read about it in the FAQ part of a growing book so i'd figure i'd try it

 

[tusseltussel]

http://www.mclendons.com/img/products/04/045010.jpg

modify it to fit in a old pc case with the back side away from the plants open.....co2 generator

 

[onenumcat]

http://www.mclendons.com/img/products/04/045010.jpg

modify it to fit in a old pc case with the back side away from the plants open.....co2 generator

yeah, propane is a natural gas. that will create co2. might be a little expensive though...

I guess any open flame in your grow room would be hazardous. when I burn the kerosene I'm always in the room and turn it off when I leave. I was just in there for about 20 min...sweatin like a pig...about 86 degrees, but I prefer around 75...

 

[tusseltussel]

yeah, propane is a natural gas. that will create co2. might be a little expensive though...

I guess any open flame in your grow room would be hazardous. when I burn the kerosene I'm always in the room and turn it off when I leave. I was just in there for about 20 min...sweatin like a pig...about 86 degrees, but I prefer around 75...

same basic concept for a lot les money you just gotta do it right and not burn your grow room down

http://www.htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=51660

 

[gotot]

yeah, propane is a natural gas. that will create co2. might be a little expensive though...

I guess any open flame in your grow room would be hazardous. when I burn the kerosene I'm always in the room and turn it off when I leave. I was just in there for about 20 min...sweatin like a pig...about 86 degrees, but I prefer around 75...

what are you bruning kerosene for? hazardous/toxic. what your doing is pointless if it's for CO2, if you dont have a consistent stream of co2 the plants will not be affected. you wont be around every hour to regulate it(which is probably how you should measure your room's depletion) which is why i bought the regulator