Dear OGD Friends: Re: The different opinions and evidence about Carbon Dioxide (CO2) supplementation. I think the relevant question should be this: If one has a number of orchids growing in a more or less closed environment, as we do ( basement rooms with ample air movement via multiple oscillating, wall-mounted fans), is there a danger of the CO2 levels dropping below a level that is optimal for plant (orchid) photosynthesis and growth?
We have about 1600 +/- plants growing in 3.5 rooms in our basement, each with different controlled environments. The entire basement is fed by a very large air conditioning unit which is separate from the A/C that handles air cooling for the rest of the house. There is not direct connection between the basement air movement and the air movement on the first and second floors where we live. Because I became concerned about reduced levels of CO2 with so many orchids in such a closed environment, I decided to place chunks of dry ice (Frozen CO2) by an oscillating fan in each room with the hope that it would help provide useful levels of CO2 for photosynthesis as it sublimed away and was circulated through each room. So . . . having injected that condition into the discussion, can anybody out there consult the genie in the bottle or an authoritative source and tell me whether CO2 levels in closed environments would benefit from occasional supplements as I have done approximately every two weeks? While I am at it, does anybody know what CO2 concentration range is considered to be favorable for orchid growth? Perhaps I should be monitoring and recording the diurnal levels of CO2 so I can approach the problem with objective evidence I should be able to figure this out myself, but information being offered by others in the OGD crowd have cast the matter into doubt. Thank you very much for any light you may shed on this specific problem. Cheers all. Charles Dr. Charles E. Bracker, Ph.D. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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