Is anybody supplementing or measuring CO2 levels in their orchid plants environment?
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CO2 level monitoring
- Thread starter gonewild
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Like for aquatic plants?
For orchids.
When we were in commercial production, yes. One needs a tightly sealed environment to successfully increase CO2 levels. It only makes sense when all other factors are optimized. Think Dutch growers at the top of their game. The technology is simple but to see results that justify the expense is not.
i agree that the results of optimizing CO2 levels would barely be noticeable in your plants if your goal is increasing vigor, bloom counts, overall plant health etc. If you're just wanting to tinker and experiment, though, sure, could be fun.
I messed around with enriching the carbon dioxide for a while, using a controller that was on for “so many” seconds, “so many” times per minute - the latter being the adjusted setting for concentration.
Level testing was a premade glass tube with a premixed reagent that changed color once opened and left exposed to the atmosphere for a few minutes.
I was attempting this in a 14’ x 18’, “well sealed” greenhouse. It wasn’t, as it turned out, so that made keeping the level up was a super challenge, as was hauling around the gas cylinders and paying for them.
I did manage to achieve 1500 ppm for about 3 months and saw no discernible change in anything but my bank account.
Level testing was a premade glass tube with a premixed reagent that changed color once opened and left exposed to the atmosphere for a few minutes.
I was attempting this in a 14’ x 18’, “well sealed” greenhouse. It wasn’t, as it turned out, so that made keeping the level up was a super challenge, as was hauling around the gas cylinders and paying for them.
I did manage to achieve 1500 ppm for about 3 months and saw no discernible change in anything but my bank account.
