Jump to content

C02 Boost Buckets <Worth It


jonh420

Recommended Posts

the guy at the hydro store in mt plesant (very cool guy by the way) told me i could see up to a 50% increase in yeild if i used c02 boost bucket in my sealed room,dose anyone have good /bad results with this . c02boost.com .any advice would be helpful

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Added C02 is a bit of a controversial topic if you ask me... In many instances the costs of producing high amounts of C02 are not worth the benefit.

 

C02 must be used strategically or it's a waste...

 

It's easiest to use in sync with an air exchange system. When the air exchange systems are off is the best time to apply extra C02. That is of course, if your grow room consists of an air exchange system. If not, it's yet another grow room feature to consider when designing a grow room. Sealed lighting ventilation systems coupled with a seperate air exchange system are really the only effective way to using C02 systems.

 

However, contrary to popular belief, the only REAL benefit to adding more C02 to the grow room environment is a higher rate of transpiration. This of course translates to a faster growth rate.

 

HOWEVER, this in turn increases the requirement for higher moisture levels at the roots but lower humidity levels in the air. It slowly becomes a tricky situation and can actually become a negative situation if moisture levels are not monitored and adjusted accordingly.

 

In my honest opinion based on my experience, the growth rate increase does not justify the cost of some C02 generating equipment.

 

And for those who say they have seen huge differences in yield and what not with elevated C02 levels, I say prove it! Show me the side by side blind tests with the results. I have yet to see this done. I have used custom C02 systems before. The only increase I noticed was the growth rate. However, I have not used the C02 boost bucket before and I never did comparison testing while using my custom C02 setups... But the custom generator that I used was very very similar and again, the only difference I noticed was a growth rate increase...

 

Don't get the wrong idea here though. I'm not saying C02 isn't beneficial. Of course it is! I'm just passing along the logical notion that EXTRA C02 really isn't necessary. Providing, of course, that normal C02 levels are already present (300-400ppm).

 

My honest opinion is that as long as you have normal C02 levels you're going to get perfectly normal growth rates. Now, if you don't have normal C02 levels in your grow room environment then you may need to think about a solution to that problem. A lot of times it's cheaper and more efficient to simply create a ventilation system to exchange air on a timed basis.

 

The increase in growth rate really wasn't all that useful for me so I decided that it wasn't in my best interests to make and put extra C02 into the air... Not to mention I kept on asking myself, "how much are the plants using?" "how much are they NOT using?" "Is there a lot of wasted production?"... And the fact of the matter there is, I don't know. No one does really. It would take a sophisticated laboratory to distinguish these kind of results...

 

Though there is no denying it, extra C02 will indeed increase the growth rate. But that's about all it will do. Whether that will help you or not, is your decision.

 

I always recommend to simply keep a decent air flow and/or exchange setup as it is far more cost effective.

 

Now if you're growing in a sealed laboratory type environment trying to get the absolute FASTEST growth rate possible, then yea, I can understand why C02 supplement might be a necessary option.

 

But for a simple medicinal Cannabis grow, I really don't feel a whole lot of effort should be put into C02 production. It really is a waste of resources. Even on a slightly larger scale if you were a caregiver with 5 patients. When you compare the increase in growth rate to the cost of increasing that growth rate it really makes you wonder what the point of it is...

 

Either way it's always a personal preference. Faster growth rate definitely has its benefits in certain situations...

 

Give it a shot!

 

Or save your money, let the free air do what it does best, and put that money towards better care for the medicine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Added C02 is a bit of a controversial topic if you ask me... In many instances the costs of producing high amounts of C02 are not worth the benefit.

 

C02 must be used strategically or it's a waste...

 

It's easiest to use in sync with an air exchange system. When the air exchange systems are off is the best time to apply extra C02. That is of course, if your grow room consists of an air exchange system. If not, it's yet another grow room feature to consider when designing a grow room. Sealed lighting ventilation systems coupled with a seperate air exchange system are really the only effective way to using C02 systems.

 

However, contrary to popular belief, the only REAL benefit to adding more C02 to the grow room environment is a higher rate of transpiration. This of course translates to a faster growth rate.

 

HOWEVER, this in turn increases the requirement for higher moisture levels at the roots but lower humidity levels in the air. It slowly becomes a tricky situation and can actually become a negative situation if moisture levels are not monitored and adjusted accordingly.

 

In my honest opinion based on my experience, the growth rate increase does not justify the cost of some C02 generating equipment.

 

And for those who say they have seen huge differences in yield and what not with elevated C02 levels, I say prove it! Show me the side by side blind tests with the results. I have yet to see this done. I have used custom C02 systems before. The only increase I noticed was the growth rate. However, I have not used the C02 boost bucket before and I never did comparison testing while using my custom C02 setups... But the custom generator that I used was very very similar and again, the only difference I noticed was a growth rate increase...

 

Don't get the wrong idea here though. I'm not saying C02 isn't beneficial. Of course it is! I'm just passing along the logical notion that EXTRA C02 really isn't necessary. Providing, of course, that normal C02 levels are already present (300-400ppm).

 

My honest opinion is that as long as you have normal C02 levels you're going to get perfectly normal growth rates. Now, if you don't have normal C02 levels in your grow room environment then you may need to think about a solution to that problem. A lot of times it's cheaper and more efficient to simply create a ventilation system to exchange air on a timed basis.

 

The increase in growth rate really wasn't all that useful for me so I decided that it wasn't in my best interests to make and put extra C02 into the air... Not to mention I kept on asking myself, "how much are the plants using?" "how much are they NOT using?" "Is there a lot of wasted production?"... And the fact of the matter there is, I don't know. No one does really. It would take a sophisticated laboratory to distinguish these kind of results...

 

Though there is no denying it, extra C02 will indeed increase the growth rate. But that's about all it will do. Whether that will help you or not, is your decision.

 

I always recommend to simply keep a decent air flow and/or exchange setup as it is far more cost effective.

 

Now if you're growing in a sealed laboratory type environment trying to get the absolute FASTEST growth rate possible, then yea, I can understand why C02 supplement might be a necessary option.

 

But for a simple medicinal Cannabis grow, I really don't feel a whole lot of effort should be put into C02 production. It really is a waste of resources. Even on a slightly larger scale if you were a caregiver with 5 patients. When you compare the increase in growth rate to the cost of increasing that growth rate it really makes you wonder what the point of it is...

 

Either way it's always a personal preference. Faster growth rate definitely has its benefits in certain situations...

 

Give it a shot!

 

Or save your money, let the free air do what it does best, and put that money towards better care for the medicine.

 

Great information! Timely too. I'm just looking at CO2 for my grows.

 

I have been told that adding CO2 production will increase the density of your buds. I've been told this more than once by different growers.

 

You stated: "Though there is no denying it, extra C02 will indeed increase the growth rate." Does this include bud density? Sounds to me that maybe you haven't put CO2 into your grows. Maybe somebody that has used it could answer this question. Maybe you have and can answer it for me.

 

My first harvest included some Serious Seeds Kali Mist. Mostly Sativa and airy buds! Patients all love it, but some have questioned the airy buds. As far as the quantity (yield) per plant, I was quite satisfied!...no CO2 either.

 

The MMMA is an awesome site full of vast knowledge! It is because of information like this - with such well thought out communications from experienced professionals - that I always in my face-to-face talks with qualified patients and qualified caregivers, say search the site for your question and if you don't find your answer, post it in a forum and you will get your answer! Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been told that adding CO2 production will increase the density of your buds. I've been told this more than once by different growers.

 

You stated: "Though there is no denying it, extra C02 will indeed increase the growth rate." Does this include bud density? Sounds to me that maybe you haven't put CO2 into your grows. Maybe somebody that has used it could answer this question. Maybe you have and can answer it for me.

 

I have used C02 before. Though my C02 enrichment method wasn't necessarily accurate and calculated, I'm sure it was adequate. I used the same concept as the Boost Bucket but the ingredients were slightly different. You'll achieve the same results either way though.

 

Does it increase bud density? Well lets look at it biologically do determine what role C02 has in plant development and whether it could have that kind of effect...

 

Nutrients, CO2 and H2O are absorbed; The C02 molecules are split and energy is exchanged/consumed (the plant consumes the carbon molecules and exhausts the 02); Gluconate Sugars are created and used for growth; Waste H2O and the O2 from the C02/02 split are then expelled. We all know this process, it's photosynthesis...

 

Photosynthetic organisms are photoautotrophs, which means that they are able to synthesize food directly from carbon dioxide using energy from light. Carbon dioxide is converted into sugars in a process called carbon fixation. Carbon fixation is a redux reaction, so photosynthesis needs to supply both a source of energy to drive this process, and the electrons needed to convert carbon dioxide into a carbohydrate, which is a reduction reaction.

 

As carbon dioxide concentrations rise, the rate at which sugars are made by the light-independent reactions increases until limited by other factors. RuBisCO, the enzyme that captures carbon dioxide in the light-independent reactions, has a binding affinity for both carbon dioxide and oxygen. When the concentration of carbon dioxide is high enough, RuBisCO will fix itsself to carbon dioxide. However, if the carbon dioxide concentration is too low, RuBisCO will bind to oxygen instead of carbon dioxide. This process, called photorespiration, uses energy, but does not produce sugars.

 

C02 is basically one of the main sources of energy for a plant. However that energy is only presented to the plant as a single piece of a required methodology between the multiple elements required for photosynthesis. That single function of that methodology for that particular process of the plants growth only serves as basically, a growth rate stimulator. Current scientific data shows how different amounts of C02 directly contributes to the rate at which a plant transpires. The transpiration rate directly controls how fast a plant can intake and exhaust the molecules to create gluconate sugars, or basically how fast it can grow. Thus increased C02 levels is hailed as the main contributor to increased growth rates.

 

Ok so we know what the C02 does for the plant from a biological perspective... Now I suppose the only question that remains is, well "can an increased growth rate increase the plants flower structure or yield?"

 

In order to answer that question you'll have to start venturing into the genetics circle. At this point one has to step back and realize that no matter how fast the plant grows, you're still limited by nature and the genetic strings unique to each individual plant... The plants overall growth structure and amount of flower production (yield) are all genetically determined attributes...

 

So C02 creates faster growing plants but the genetics of the plant control how it grows and how much it grows.

 

So what it all boils down to is that C02 really only helps you get to the genetic limits of the plant, faster... Nothing more and nothing less...

 

The implication that C02 can somehow alter the plants genetics and cause the plant to grow a more dense structure or yield more than it would under natural conditions is quite silly if you ask me. The plant is going to yield what it would if all other conditions were adequate and supplied in natural levels.

 

Again, asuming the C02 levels are at natural levels in your grow environment and all other factors are adequate, the plant will thrive and yield what it should. The only difference with having an over abundance of C02 is it will get larger faster...

 

That's the point of C02 enrichment though. It's main function is to increase growth rates. But if your C02 levels are below natural levels, your overall growth rate and plant functionality are going to slow, thus, your yields are going to suffer. So adding C02 COULD in fact serve to help the plant ensure it can grow at a normal rate to it's natural potential, at the very least...

 

But will increased growth rates increase your yield or bud density? Well I fail to see how it's possible given the role of C02 itsself within the plants growth cycle. It doesn't seem to hold the functionality to be able to do so...

 

My first harvest included some Serious Seeds Kali Mist. Mostly Sativa and airy buds! Patients all love it, but some have questioned the airy buds. As far as the quantity (yield) per plant, I was quite satisfied!...no CO2 either.

 

You may have had a situation where you didn't allow the plant enough time to grow to it's full potential... Sativas or Sativa dominant plants are generally long bloomers. They can take anywhere from 12-16 weeks to fully bloom and fill out. During this period of time the early stages of blooming tend to be sparse and not very close together... As the plant ages it gains more and more flower formation but they tend to "stretch" much longer than more Indica type plants. Because of this it takes the plant much longer to fill in. But they do fill in... And some Sativas, when allowed to fill in properly and kept alive well enough to do so will reward it's cultivator with ENORMOUS yields.

 

However, at the same time, some Sativa/Indica hybrids naturally don't yield a lot. These strains won't express the extended stretching period but still maintain the long "flower setting" trait... Be it bad breeding or uneducating cultivating sometimes this happens... When you're dealing with Sativa of any magnitude it helps to be aware of this situation so you can better prepare yourself if you find yourself in the presence of a Sativa dominant plant.

 

I really hope this helps you out in your hortifulctural experience. I wish the best of luck to you and all your future harvests!

 

:D V

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Added C02 is a bit of a controversial topic if you ask me... In many instances the costs of producing high amounts of C02 are not worth the benefit.

 

C02 must be used strategically or it's a waste..."

 

C02 is not a controversial topic to me. It works and is definitely worth the cost if you want to grow faster and have larger yields. It is not essential and most people do not need faster growth and have yields plenty large without C02. but like mentioned above if not used in the proper way, it is a waste.

 

i think that is where most people misjudge co2 - they don't apply it properly and then say it doesn't help much. adding C02 to the environment is a drastic change and nutrient strength, light intensity, temperature, humidity, etc must change also to utilize what is in the atmosphere around them. i have seen many people just add co2 to their current setup and wonder why it did not help much - they are running 1500ppm co2 in high 70 degrees temps. you must be at least mid 80's or you are wasting your time and gas.

 

"I have used C02 before. Though my C02 enrichment method wasn't necessarily accurate and calculated, I'm sure it was adequate. I used the same concept as the Boost Bucket but the ingredients were slightly different. You'll achieve the same results either way though."

 

if a proper co2 monitor/controller was not used, there is absolutely no way to determine the amount of co2 in the air. especially if there was a chemical solution and not a co2 tank or generator. there are calculations but airflow and leakage are near impossible to calculate. this is the most difficult part - getting the ppm dialed in. with a monitor/controller its easy but without - its hard but not impossible.

 

in the end you must do a proper test yourself. i have done the side by side tests. telling you 50% increase is a very very conservative number. people that use co2 properly will attest to that.

 

think of a plant compared to a human on steroids. co2 will not only get you to there faster but the end product will achieve what a normal environment could never produce. normal co2 levels will give normal growth rates - increased co2 levels can have abnormal growth rates. do not be mislead though - speed and size will be the only benefits. potency will be only what is possible from the genetics.

 

now onto the buckets - i have not personally tested them but have a friend that did with a monitor/controller. they definitely work but only for a very small area. i can't remember the exact dimensions but i think it was like 5X5.

 

in the end, you must test but do your research first so you can apply it in the proper manner. if you are not doing something on a large scale it may not be worth it to you. is a dried 1/2 ounce cola enough for you or do you need a 2 ounce bud that's the size of a 2 liter bottle that you can't even fit into a jar or 1 gallon freezer bag?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i think that is where most people misjudge co2 - they don't apply it properly and then say it doesn't help much. adding C02 to the environment is a drastic change and nutrient strength, light intensity, temperature, humidity, etc must change also to utilize what is in the atmosphere around them. i have seen many people just add co2 to their current setup and wonder why it did not help much - they are running 1500ppm co2 in high 70 degrees temps. you must be at least mid 80's or you are wasting your time and gas.

 

I agree with the first portion of this statement but you'll have to explain how the temperature has that much of an impact on C02 enrichments effectiveness. I don't understand that at all...

 

if a proper co2 monitor/controller was not used, there is absolutely no way to determine the amount of co2 in the air. especially if there was a chemical solution and not a co2 tank or generator. there are calculations but airflow and leakage are near impossible to calculate. this is the most difficult part - getting the ppm dialed in. with a monitor/controller its easy but without - its hard but not impossible.

 

Either way you cut it you'll have to do some calculating based on the cubic volume of the room. The Boost Bucket states that it puts out anywhere from 3,000-5,000ppm. Now that doesn't mean it'll fill a room up with that much C02. However, with more than one used right, it can! The buckets I used were larger and had much more ingredients inside them. I used four 5 gallon buckets. Each had it's own line running from the bucket to the cieling, above the plants. I used a CPPM-1 meter that a friend let me borrow so I could get an idea of the ppm level this setup was going to produce. With those 4 buckets going and the sensor placed up at the top of the plant canopy I had readings from 2,000-3,000ppm. If that's not enough to get some noticeable results, I don't know what is!

 

Did I notice an increase in growth rate? ABSOLUTELY. The increase in growth rate was amazing. The plants appeared to be growing so fast that I started getting excited thinking they may actually yield more than they normally do.

 

Did it help increase the yield? Hell No... All it did was help the plants get bigger faster. Which helped with shortening up the entire growth cycle but it didn't help with the yield in the least bit... If you consider growing a plant to it's normal size faster as increasing the yield, then yes in that case it does indeed do that.

 

But personally I fail to see how the C02 increases yields. A bigger plant is a sure method of getting a higher yield but that would mean that the C02 only helps grow a bigger plant faster... But no matter how fast you grow it, it's still going to yield what it would naturally at what ever size you bloom it.

 

Unfortunately I didn't do any side by sides on this one.

 

However, what did occur was this... After setting up the C02 system I brought my plants into bloom phase like I normally do. I brought them in at the same size I normally do to keep them at the same size and everything. I was hoping for the same thing everyone else was; The same size plants I always work with but larger yields. Unfortunately that's not what happened.

 

What happened was, the grow time from the point when I put them into bloom phase to the point when they were all done stretching was greatly shortened as the plants grew at an extremely fast rate. However, this also meant I was using more water and more fertilizer as the plants transpired faster. But they all stopped stretching at the same size they normally did before I used C02 enrichment. Which is what I wanted and what I expected as this phase of the plants growth is genetically determined. Some stretched a little more than they normally do but not dramatically. But overall there were no changes in the plants overall size or overall yield, only how fast it got there.

 

This clearly shows how the genetics of the plant control the size and yield of the plant.

 

From that point on I decided that spending money on C02 was quite pointless...

 

in the end you must do a proper test yourself. i have done the side by side tests. telling you 50% increase is a very very conservative number. people that use co2 properly will attest to that.

 

50% Increase of what exactly? I may not have used it "properly" but I sure as hell used it in the right amounts and I sure as hell had results. The growth rates I recieved were absolutely astonishing.

 

co2 will not only get you to there faster but the end product will achieve what a normal environment could never produce.

 

Care to elaborate on exactly how this occurs? I understand how extra C02 can cause a plant to increase it's transpiration rate, which enhances it's overall growth rate, but I fail to see how it enhances the overall yield WITHOUT growing a BIGGER PLANT...

 

Obviously if you grow a bigger plant you'll get a bigger yield. But you don't need highly elevated C02 levels monitored and controlled by expensive equipment to grow bigger plants...

 

You may be able to shave some time off your growth cycle by adding C02 but it won't increase your yields unless you grow bigger plants...

 

is a dried 1/2 ounce cola enough for you or do you need a 2 ounce bud that's the size of a 2 liter bottle that you can't even fit into a jar or 1 gallon freezer bag?

 

I grow buds like that without ANY C02 enrichment... I simply bring in air from outside. I prefer to use natural C02 levels. It's free and it works just fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't use CO2, but a good bro who just used it his last run commented his yield was up maybe 10-15% from the previous harvest of the same strain. He also noticed his girls finishing a few days early. He is quite satisfied with the addition of CO2 to his garden.

 

I can see maybe 10-20% increase (depending on other conditions too), but telling you that you will get a 50% increase in yield from just adding CO2 seems like a sales pitch and not so realistic. But like they say, anything is possible.

 

I wish you the best of luck :thumbsu:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...