Everyone knows that plants can convert light into energy through photosynthesis. But they also need carbon dioxide (CO2) to complete the process. A plant can generate as much energy as it has both light and CO2 available to complete the biochemical process. That energy translates into growth for the plant while generating oxygen as a bonus byproduct for humans and animals.
What does that mean for cannabis growers? It means that with a little extra CO2, you can boost your cannabis growth and yield by providing your plants with the resources they need for even more photosynthesis. This is known as CO2 enrichment.
CO2 Levels and Cannabis Growth Stages
Cannabis plants can grow huge and fluffy, given the right growing environment. They like a warm grow tent, bright lights, and – as it turns out – plenty of CO2 to help them transform the available light into energy. Your cannabis plants are also hungry for CO2 at different levels based on their growth stage.
- During the vegetative stage, cannabis thrives at 1000-1500 PPM of CO2 in the air.
- During the flowering stage, your cannabis wants closer to 1200-1500 PPM of CO2 for photosynthesis.
Methods of CO2 Enrichment in Cultivation
There are three ways to release extra CO2 into your cannabis growing environment to achieve CO2 enrichment: Compressed liquid CO2, dry ice, and combustion of propane and natural gas.
Compressed Liquid CO2
If you purchase compressed CO2 in liquid form, you can slowly release it as a gas into your sealed grow tent until you reach the optimal PPM for the growth stage of your cannabis. This method is often paired with the distribution infrastructure of tubes or nozzles inside the tent.
Dry Ice
Dry ice releases CO2 as it warms up. While not particularly efficient, it’s an easy way to try CO2 enrichment in a small grow tent with a few plants. This is often where growers – especially people growing at home – get started with CO2 enrichment on a small scale.
Combustion
When you burn propane or natural gas, CO2 is released. This method is most likely used if you live in a cold region and want to pair efficient heating with CO2 enrichment to maximize cannabis growth.
Effects of Elevated CO2 on Cannabis Quality
When you increase the CO2 in your cannabis-growing environment, it can help your plants to grow faster, larger, and produce higher yields. This is because you are juicing up the available energy that your plants can produce by empowering greater photosynthesis.
CO2 and light are the two resources needed for your cannabis to generate energy through photosynthesis. If you are already providing strong lights, it is likely that your cannabis can’t use 100% of the light available with the normal amounts of CO2 in the air. By providing your plants with more CO2, they can use more of the light to generate more energy.
That energy, for a plant, results in faster and more productive growth. During the vegetative stage, your cannabis is likely to grow bigger and mature faster. During the flowering stage, the plants will pour that extra energy into generating more and bigger buds.
CO2 Enrich Your Cannabis Growth with VS Carbonics
At VS Carbonics, we are proud to provide high-quality CO2 compressed liquid gas tanks based on the size and scope of your growing operations. We can help you optimize your cannabis growth and maximize your yields with science-refined CO2 enrichment supplies and strategies.
Contact us today if you have any questions on Co2 and cannabis growth.
Image Credit: Ladanifer / Shutterstock
