Co2 - Is the expense justified...?

Hello People,

I am new to growing and I am always being surprised by how many products are marketed at 'the growing community' and just how much money it is possible to spend on a grow room.
I've noticed that there's even Brand recognition with POWERPLANT and LUMATEK being the Armani of growing.

My question is this:

How much does a Co2 system cost and does this expense return in the form of greater yields?

UK based answers would be most helpful to myself but other nationalities are welcome to offer views.

i am not uk nor do i run co2 since i am only a personal grower but to answer your question is it worth it...well depends on whatyour trying to do here. I mean yes if your room is dialed in (which will probably take a couple cycles if your lucky) you can increase your yeilds up to 20+%. Mostly the difference i have seen from others who use co2 is in the hardness of the bud they produce.
Just look aroundthe advanced growers threadand you will find tons of grows with the info you desire and you will definitely see the difference in the size of the bud where co2 is utilized.IMO
To go through the hassle of having a completely sealed environment and then the 100 bucks for a regulator another 50-75 for co2 unless you have a hook up i mean if cash is your final goal then by all means.

urban1026835 said:

i am not uk nor do i run co2 since i am only a personal grower but to answer your question is it worth it...well depends on whatyour trying to do here. I mean yes if your room is dialed in (which will probably take a couple cycles if your lucky) you can increase your yeilds up to 20+%. Mostly the difference i have seen from others who use co2 is in the hardness of the bud they produce.
Just look aroundthe advanced growers threadand you will find tons of grows with the info you desire and you will definitely see the difference in the size of the bud where co2 is utilized.IMO
To go through the hassle of having a completely sealed environment and then the 100 bucks for a regulator another 50-75 for co2 unless you have a hook up i mean if cash is your final goal then by all means.

Click to expand...

My final goal is to push the limits....

"If your room is dialled in, which can take a few cycles...".
Do you mean to work out the optimum amount of Co2 needed and the schedule of release???

"If your room is dialled in, which can take a few cycles...".

Click to expand...

Do you mean to work out the optimum amount of Co2 needed and the schedule of release???

Click to expand...

Hi NorthofEngland,
I'm pretty sure he meant that you should do a few grow "cycles" meaning crops until you have everything perfect. Then if you want to bump yield, it might make sense to add CO2.

Or looking at it from the other side...if you have a sloppy grow, CO2 is a waste of money.

And I agree. Good luck,
JD

co2 in a bag seems to look ok, im going to give it a whirl next time!

brodietheconeking said:

co2 in a bag seems to look ok, im going to give it a whirl next time!

Click to expand...

Co2 in a bag is junk

You're better off making your own Co2 in bottles.

My opinion: when it comes to CO2 (in aluminum tanks), it is not so much about the cost of the equipment as it will pay for itself if used properly. The real issue is whether you want to deal with both the added complexity and getting your area at least semi-sealed so as to retain enough CO2 in the air to be useful. I used it a few times with an automatic controller that also had a PPM meter. Then I had to switch to a new area that was not really suitable to seal properly and haven't used it in years. Plus, I now use small planting containers that may not support the extra growth provided by CO2. The CO2 equipment is gathering dust in a closet.

bluerock said:

My opinion: when it comes to CO2 (in aluminum tanks), it is not so much about the cost of the equipment as it will pay for itself if used properly. The real issue is whether you want to deal with both the added complexity and getting your area at least semi-sealed so as to retain enough CO2 in the air to be useful. I used it a few times with an automatic controller that also had a PPM meter. Then I had to switch to a new area that was not really suitable to seal properly and haven't used it in years. Plus, I now use small planting containers that may not support the extra growth provided by CO2. The CO2 equipment is gathering dust in a closet.

Click to expand...

This is the only answer that actually touches on the only time to use Co2.

Co2 should be used in a near sealed room.

As in there is NO AIR EXCHANGE.

You supply co2 using a regulator, solonoid and controller.
You then control RH using dehumidifier/humidifier.
You control temperatures by using air con. (Expensive to run in the uk.)
You air cool your lights using an external intake through the lights and exhausted the other side so that no grow room air passes through it.

IMO Co2 should be last thought on a growers mind.

Perfect your environment, learn your craft and when you think you are pushing the boundaries of maximum production then contemplate the complexity of creating a sealed grow room with Co2 supplementation.



J

That is a TON of work.

One day I suppose, one day.

I'll have a farm of weed and I'll use this, but by that day I think it'll just be outside anyway.

I grew in a basement with an oil heater for the house. the average ppm I read from my meter was 600. that's w/o turning on the co2 generator. even that is better than the 300ppm outdoors or indoors when the heater was off in summer. yield was satisfactory. was the investment worth it? no I didn't think so.

Co2 is awesome and worth every penny. It may take a bit to get the room dialed in. Anything from a sealed room with all the fixins to a closet with the door cracked and the valve always on during the day will increase plant size and yield. The latter is not the most efficent way but it did improve things when i did that a few years ago. Had a small closet back then with a 400w, metal wing and a tank. I plugged the hose into the back of a small fan, set the regulater to .3 or so and just let it rip. Definatly worked out. These days the room is much bigger and has a cintroller and sealed up and all that. Imo its great but not much will happen below 1000 pp and a slightly higher temp is needed. 80-85 for indicas and 85-90 for sativas seems to work great. Dont worry if the room is not always optimized as any time the plants are exposed to better conditions will always help. Good luck!

Not claiming to be a pro. Only on my 8th grow cycle. For 7 of them I didn't use co2 however for this last grow I did. I'm in week 6 of flower and my plants are doing great. I make my own home made and also have a co2 boost bucket as well. The last to grows have been with same strains (nirvana super skunk and ak4 all I can say is my plants went crazy the buds are dense and rock hard. Here is a picture. These plants are in five gallon pots between pot and plant they stand slightly over 4 ft. Co2 for whole grow so far. So in my opinion yes its worth the money.

Thank you to everyone for responding.
The Co2 debate certainly divides opinion.

As for myself I now know that Co2 is something that no beginner should contemplate.

And I'm still unsure about the concept of a 'semi-sealed room'?

i have a buddy who owns a garage and he mentioned working something out on some co2 but i am no where near where i would want to be in terms of growing to justify it in my eyes. Though i do agree it will do nothing but improve my plants regardless of the setup i just do not want to spend unless i get optimal results and i think i am yet to get there with what i have now.
so i agree no beginner should contemplate unless cost isn't an issue then by all means balls to the wall.