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Mission Viejo, CA

Has anyone experimented with non-combustion C02 methods?

Grow Bags? Tanks? other methods? And what have you found?

4/15/2024 8:15:18 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Kevin, I’m experimenting this year with Exhale CO2 grow bags, seems super simple to use so I figured why not.

https://www.exhaleco2bags.com/

[Last edit: 04/15/24 11:54:32 PM]

4/15/2024 11:53:58 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

Let’s compare notes Glenn. I’m going to try the same thing in a cloche.

4/16/2024 10:49:35 AM

Westmoreland, KS

The grow bags look cool but I did the math and I think I'd need 66 of them...$4000

[Last edit: 04/16/24 12:43:33 PM]

4/16/2024 12:37:35 PM

valtierra/spain

I haven't tried it, but a 25 kg bag of citric acid costs 50 Euros in Spain, and a 25 kg bag of sodium bicarbonate, about 22 euros. According to them, the mixture of these two products produces co2, perhaps it would be a good idea to test in 4 or 5 drums inside the greenhouse, but I do not know how many kg are necessary to mix them in water, and how much gas it emits. Has anyone tried it?

4/16/2024 3:34:40 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

Yikes Jake! How big is your greenhouse?

My little cloche is 3'W x 8' L x3'H lol so maybe one bag will be enough!

4/16/2024 4:18:16 PM

Westmoreland, KS

1 should work for that Kevin! 60 x 40 so it's gonna take a few bags!

4/16/2024 5:38:07 PM

Syracuse, NY

Any cares or concerns for the worms and/or soil biology as to the effects, if any about target CO2 usage levels? I had read into it the other night and I'm not sure yet as to the levels that cause harm amongst growers here, but I would not wanna be a worm near a CO2 storage area - they use the effects on earthworms as an indicator of leakage. I am genuinely interested for growers' sakes as well, since I've never seen it mentioned - eg

[Last edit: 04/16/24 10:53:29 PM]

4/16/2024 10:40:28 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

So far its working great. Controlling temp in this small greenhouse is a bit challenging but I am figuring it out.

It's overcast today which is good; presently reading 1100 ppms. Its been as high as 1450. I am convinced that the Exhale bag is working.

4/22/2024 6:05:04 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Always fun trying new things Kevin!

So many are using co2 now compared to just 5 years ago.

4/23/2024 10:01:45 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Kevin, I was told to expect 1000-1300 ppm in my 10x7x7 hoophouse from 1 bag. I’ve got it hanging down directly over the plant, about 2 feet above the foliage as they suggested.

4/23/2024 4:19:39 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Kevin, I’ve ordered a CO2 detector so I’ll be able to report in the numbers in my diary. Should be interesting to see the levels and compare the 2 sizes of hoophouse we are using. Thanks again Amazon.

4/25/2024 12:27:00 PM

Germany

Scratching my head...so what does this bag do: Its inhabitants (fungus stuff) are converting organic matter into CO2 and water. Well, the same happens to the organic matter in your soil. Just consider the amount of organic matter (compost etc.) you are adding to the patch each year for maintaining a rather constant level of organic matter. So, it means the amount added will, on average, be converted into CO2 and water every year (otherwise the level won´t be constant). What happens to that CO2? Large amounts thereof will be exhaled from the soil surface toward the air under the canopy. In this regard, the few hands of organic matter in that bag (and the amount of CO2 release therefrom) make an impression of homeopathic addition (imho). Also, just consider the energy your body puts into the patch (while working there), and then convert that amount of carbohydrates (or fat), that your body burns in the patch within the months of plant care, into an approximate amount of CO2 that you will (necessarily) exhale...into the patch area or greenhouse. You will probably produce much more CO2 than a couple of those bags.

4/25/2024 1:06:36 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Here Pumpking, you can read up on it if you care to…

https://www.exhaleco2bags.com/

4/26/2024 9:28:20 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I found this great article on CO2, worth the read for anyone interested in this topic.

https://www.mars-hydro.com/info/post/a-guide-to-using-co2-to-increase-yield

4/27/2024 9:53:27 AM

Mission Viejo, CA

After 8 days in the mini greenhouse, the C02 Exposed plant is substantially larger than the outdoor (control) plant. Check my diary for pics. It's quite noticeable.

I've moved the cloche over the 1109 Jutras plant now, marking the end of the experiment. The C02 Meter reading was 1075 ppm this morning when I went out to check.

4/29/2024 10:47:30 AM