I stumbled upon a section on Co2 in the “How to Supercharge Your Garden” book written by Graham Reinders and illustrated by Marseene Mainly. I thought I’d share a piece of the chapter as it kind of made me laugh inside, but also displays our innate relationship with nature and the plants that we grow. See below and enjoy;

“People laughed when it was claimed that playing music to plants made them grow better.  It really did because the sound vibrations actually strengthen the stem fibers, shorten the internode length, and cause stress growth reactions  from the plants.”

(Go figure.  I wonder which genres produce best results.  It might depend on the plant…)

“Then people laughed when it was claimed that singing to plants made them grow better.  However, it is true.  The CO2 from human breath actually makes plants grow faster.  If you and a few gardeners stay in the indoor garden area during the light period, the plants would do very well.”

(So I’m not that crazy after all.  I knew my tomatoes loved a morning serenade.)

“It is thought that the massive plants that developed millions of years ago had lived in an environment with much more carbon dioxide in it.  In their evolution, the plants will maintained the capacity to use much more carbon dioxide than the world has now.”

(So create more CO2? Not so sure on this one…)

“Luckily in smoggy cities, the CO2 level can be as high as 500 PPM, and by just having a good circulating fan, the plants should have enough CO2 for a medium-light indoor garden.”

(Yes luckily.  And we’re located just outside of LA, so we’re very lucky!  So smog is good?)

“A high-light garden with the carbon dioxide amount increased from an ambient level of 300 PPM to a high level of 2,000 PPM can nearly double plant growth.”

(Bring on the Co2)

This book is a great resource and walks you through a number of areas dealing with both growing in general and hydroponics.  A must read for anyone interested in growing.

Check it out…

Hydroponics Unlimited is now stocking .25L size in Rhizotonic, Cannazym and PK 13/14, so you can give each a try without diving in. Canna offers great nutrients and has a awesome reputation. With these new sizes it is worth checking out!

Hydroponics Nutrients from Humboldt County’s Own now recently added to Hydroponics Unlimited’s inventory!  Humboldt County Bush Master, Humboldt County Purple Maxx and Humboldt County Gravity.

Bush Master: BushMaster speed shifts plants into bloom by eliminating the stretch phase of the growth cycle.  Advanced growers are using BushMaster as a shape shifter.  By applying early in the grow cycle plants can develop tight baseball shaped or popsicle shaped clusters of flowers so more plants can be grown in a smaller area.  Contains no carcinogens or toxic chemicals. PLANTS FINISH 7-10 DAYS SOONER!

Purple Maxx (Snow Storm): NO DYES, NO TRICKS, 100% ORGANIC! From Stacker to Trichomax to Purple Maxx Snow Storm, this name has evolved to describe a product so incredible that it couldn’t be developed intentionally but had to be discovered accidentally.  Works well in soil or hydro, indoors or out.  Channels your favorite nutrients to maximize flower and color development.

Gravity (Flower Hardener): Takes your flowers beyond anything achievable through fertilizer alone.  Substantial weight gains are routine.  Outrageous gains are not unusual.  You can feel the difference.  No more slow finishes.  Forces flowers toward complete development.  Just 1 or 2 treatments in late bloom.  Works with all popular nutrients.

A pretty cool video from Discovery on growing Lettuce using hydroponics.