|
Chapter 15
|
|
Cows in the
Growroom?
There has been mention in popular literature of different animals being allowed to enter the growing chamber, to provide CO2 via the air they exhale. In the most common situation, an indoor growing room or chamber in a house or apartment, the only animal that should be allowed in is the human animal.
Cats, dogs, raccoons, gerbils, boa constrictors, or whatever you might like to let slither around the home can bring in all sorts of undesirable pests.
It is possible to draw the incoming air
from a remote room or area. It is also possible to filter the incoming air
to remove bugs, dust, and other airborne particulates. Although the opportunity probably won’t present itself very often, there may be
situations where the incoming air can be taken from a room that is
regularly kept full of animals or humans. Simply test the air with a CO2
tester. If the levels are noticeably above those in the outside air,
consider taking air from this area.
Bovine Flatulence
Growing areas above the barn in the hayloft are probably
relatively common in agricultural communities. Cattle are one of the most
prodigious producers of CO2 in the world. The cud-chewing process teams
up with a multiple stomach system and. .. presto! A veritable bovine CO2 factory. Scientists have listed
cud-chewing and bovine flatulence as major contributing factors to the
greenhouse effect. A growth chamber in a barn above a large amount of
cattle may have CO2 exceeding the desired levels.
Composted CO2
A compost heap is a pile of decaying matter
such as leaves, twigs, plant clippings, etc. Large amounts of CO2 are
released during the process through fermentation. A good compost turns 100
pounds (wet weight) of organic material such as leaves or plant trimmings
into 50 pounds or more of CO2. The fermentation process takes about a
month, and releases CO2 in fairly regular daily amounts once the digesting
action begins.
Starting a compost in a grow room would be a very messy and
unsanitary proposition, but there are probably several “country”
applications wherein a compost system could supply clean and adequate CO2
to a greenhouse or larger growing operation.
The compost heap could be started in a cement, brick or
adobe “oven” with a length of stove pipe drawing the CO2 into the
greenhouse or growth area. An air filtration system would be necessary in
this system. Large spun glass furnace filters should work well.
Warning
Fermentation via composting can also
produce quantities of methane, a poisonous and explosive gas. It is
strongly recommended that the practitioner take steps to prevent all
situations that could be hazardous when using a composting situation to
produce CO2. It’s highly unlikely, but both the composting chamber and the
greenhouse could become explosive. Know what you are doing via lots of
additional study before you try this one.
Human CO2
The hobbyist himself can be a supplier of
CO2. Simply spending time in the growing area adds to the CO2 level. Not
enough to prevent depletion in a closed room, or enough to enhance the
atmosphere to anywhere near the 1500 ppm level, but enough that plant
growth increases.
|