The importance of carbon dioxide cannot be underestimated in the cultivation process. Having robust C02 levels ensures optimal plant health and maximum yield. Plants create sugars using the process of photosynthesis which is powered by light.
Light is used to separate the two elements of water, oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen floats in the air. Oxygen is combined with CO2 to create sugar, which is used as food to fuel metabolism and to grow. As noted in the Cannabis Grower’s Handbook: Cannabis is a C3 plant, so it only accumulates carbon dioxide when performing photosynthesis. With enough light and water, the plant absorbs more CO2 when its concentration in the air increases. This increases the photosynthetic efficiency of the plant, producing more sugars, resulting in faster growth.
The 420ppm of CO2 found in Earth’s atmosphere is at the lower end of the continuum of C3 plants’ ability to use it as an ingredient for photosynthesis. Outdoor plants growing in bright summer light grow heavier and faster when supplemented with CO2. Raising the level of CO2 up to 0.15% (1500 ppm), just under four times the amount usually found in the atmosphere, dramatically increases the rate of plant growth.
When plants grow in an enclosed space, they have a limited amount of CO2 to use. Under bright lights, the CO2 depletes quickly. Walled gardens without ventilation also quickly deplete to the point where THE the rate of photosynthesis slows to a virtual halt at 200 ppm. It is only when more CO2 is added to the air that photosynthesis resumes!
The text goes on to reveal that C02 levels between 800 and 1,500 parts per million (ppm) will dramatically increase the growth of cannabis plants. These numbers are much higher than what is found in the natural environment. Therefore, supplementation is a must for growers whether the garden is indoors or outdoors.
