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Re: Equation for plant growth

Butch (and Nan),
>While we're at it, does anyone know of a natural C02 generator.
Yep.  Fire.

Seriously.  A burning fire consumes something containing carbon (like the
cellulose in wood or paper), and oxidizes it to carbon dioxide.  Commercial
greenhouse CO2 generators do nothing more than burn gas (propane or natural
gas).  The risk is that the combustion is not complete, and that you may
get nasty non-CO2 combustion by-products (like the plant hormone ethylene).
   If you are using a CO2 generator that works this way, your greenhouse
should NOT be airtight (the better to vent out any bad combustion products
that might occur), and the flame should be very blue (yellow flames are too
carbon-rich, which you can tell because of the soot they produce.  Thus,
incomplete combustion).  

Or if you have an abundance of apple cider, you can try vinegar and baking
soda.  This is the science fair "volcano" reaction: the bubbles that occur
when you add vinegar to baking soda are carbon dioxide.  Vinegar (or any
other acid) and limestone will also produce CO2, but I believe that the
reaction occurs more slowly.  I don't think that either of these are
practical ways to enhance plant growth, however.  

Rick Grazzini
rickg@centrelab.com
USDA 5 or 6 / Sunset 43
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