Growing plants indoors
How fresh air and carbon dioxide help indoor plants grow?
How fresh air and carbon dioxide help indoor plants grow
Plants need fresh air to grow and dispose of their waste. The quality of the air plays a crucial role in photosynthesis. That makes fresh air important for taking your culture to a higher level. In nature fresh air is obviously readily available. But you also need to supply a continuous flow of fresh air when growing indoors. But why exactly?
Carbon dioxide
Plants use gasses from the air in order to grow. If there are not enough gasses present, your plant may lag behind. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the main gas for your plants. Plants combine this gas with water and light to realise photosynthesis. Photosynthesis allows for the production of glucose. This helps plants grow. If the amount of either carbon dioxide, water or light is not at the right level, your plant won’t grow optimally. As a result, the final yield may be disappointing. Your plants especially need an optimal amount of carbon dioxide during the growth phase.
CO₂ concentration
The CO₂ concentration in normal air is between 350 and 450 ppm (parts per million). You can measure this concentration with a special CO₂ meter. There are a number of tools you can use to increase the concentration of CO₂. One example is a CO₂ boost bucket. This can be placed in your grow room. You can also use CO₂ tanks. These allow you to control the amount of carbon dioxide in the grow room through a timer and a tap. Another option is a CO₂ stove. This burns natural gas or liquid propane gas, giving off CO₂ in the process. To optimise photosynthesis, we recommend also increasing the temperature in your grow room when adding extra CO₂. Keep in mind that for the best growth the right amounts of nutrients, water and light are also required. Don’t overdose CO₂ without also adding water and light, because then the CO₂ will be of no use to the plant.
Fan and extraction
A plant evaporates water to cool itself. This water vapor must be removed, or the evaporation process stops. For growing indoors you need a good extraction system. With this, you can discharge the warm, humid air and stimulate the supply of fresh air. Always make sure that the fresh air does not enter in a single place, but evenly fills the space instead. By placing a fan in your grow room you can circulate the air inside and blow it between your plants. This way fungi and germs are less likely to grow. Additionally, the stems of your plants will grow stronger as a result of the moving air. As a consequence, the plant can collect more water and nutrients.