From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Lodi, California

Does anyone know how much calcarb increases the amount of Co2 a plant takes in? Thanks!

12/21/2013 2:48:04 PM

Eurasia

Better use dolomite and fertigate acidic to set CO2 free.
The amount is strongly limited by the wind. And so I use anti-hail-netting for the best tropical climate under the foliage. Ozon and CO2 are heavier than air and stay below the leafs, when the wind can´t drive them away.
Ozon makes problems for fast-growing AGs at late afternoon and evening: so better use the sprinkler on real hot days to wash ozon into the soil, where it disinfects.
Watering hoses normally are better, but not when ozon must be sluiced down.
Dolomite is better then calcarb, ´cause fast-growing plants need more available Mg too to build up chlorophyll.

12/21/2013 4:08:29 PM

Torrance, Ca.

There it is Ashton.

12/21/2013 6:27:21 PM

Lodi, California

I ment how much does calcarb increase the intake of CO2? Thanks

12/21/2013 7:32:54 PM

Eurasia

I have answered your question well:
CaCO3 does not bring so much as dolomite, ´cause you have to build up chlorophyll as factories that uses up CO2.
When plants need more minerals to feed the new sun-powered manufacturies, they have to grow new roots too!
And what is needed most to develop roots?
Yes, magnesium!
Like other cations Mg may be fixed in soil when needed.
And so I fertilize granulated Dolomite with 60% CaCO3 and 30 % MgCO3 (plus 10% Si) and fertigate with acids to set it free. By the way, silicium is needed for strong plant´s tissue and so could be seen as a mineral for plant protection.
The amount of useable CO2 out of dolomite always is more then from CaCO2 (calcarb).
Once again: the amount of useable CO2 also depends on the wind´s offtake between the leafes...

12/22/2013 8:36:14 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Calcium Carbonate Foliar Spray is Xtreme Gardening’s revolutionary calcium carbonate foliar spray which increases CO2 levels from 0.03 vol% (atmospheric level) to 0.1 vol% – the optimal level desired by plants"

"CalCarb is a proprietary calcium carbonate (CaCo3) which infiltrates plant leaves through the stomata. Once inside the intercellular space, it is converted into CO2 and CaO. CO2 increases photosynthesis levels, while the calcium strengthens the cell walls"

"Also, because plants utilizing CalCarb recieve carbon dioxide via the intercellular space, the stomata of the leaves no longer have to remain open trying to fixate it atmospherically. The stomata can now remain closed, significantly lowering transpiration and effectively increasing plant water retention by up to 75%!"

12/22/2013 11:34:28 AM

Eurasia

Wow!
We don´t know about such a nice spray here in bad old Europe.
Hey Canadians, please tell us, where to buy it!

12/22/2013 1:34:47 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Wow, indeed everytime I read something you post on this website !!

Seriously, does nobody use the search function on this great site anymore and have the youth of today abandoned the good ole "google search"

Ashton, the answer to your question was a quick search on the Extreme Gardening website and melopumpksy the answer to your question was in my response to Ashton the first time....Extreme Gardening...

http://www.xtreme-gardening.com/

12/22/2013 1:56:02 PM

Eurasia

No, to spray with a pothead bottle under-side only CaCO3...
This product is made for Cannabis grower!
My pumpkins and melons I will spray further on with resolved granulated dolomite, `CAUSE I NEED MAGNESIUM TOO!!!!!
And I use a backpack sprayer with my Zangendüse ( http://www.kunstundkram24.de/MESTO-3778-Zangenduese-Messing ) to spray up and down together, ´cause upside I want to shade the leaf with Ca!
All AG growers fertilize very much potassium.
But more potassium also means less Mg.
And so I always will spray dolomite instead of CaCO3!

12/22/2013 2:10:27 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Love the last snow pic Glenn!


Beautiful!

12/22/2013 2:11:27 PM

NE Kansas

How many of today's youth are even asking questions of this caliber? Last time I checked there was only one on this site...

12/22/2013 4:33:54 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Good point! I still can't believe how young Ashton is. I won't even get into the types of questions my kids his age ask :)

12/22/2013 4:46:44 PM

Springfield, Missouri

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but I believe this product is a scam.

So first this product needs to get inside the plants leaves. The problem is calcium carbonate is a polar insoluble compound. Chemistry solubility rules in the link below.
http://www.files.chem.vt.edu/RVGS/ACT/notes/solubility_rules.html
When you mix Calcarb with water you are making a suspension not a solution. The site states "Calcarb leaves a beneficial white residue of natural calcium". Basically nothing gets into the leaves, it simply just dries on the leaf surface and gets washed to the ground. I know of no chelator that could carry CaCO3 across a membrane.

The second fallacy "Once inside the intercellular space, it is converted into CO2 and CaO"

Calcium carbonate must be heated to 825 degrees Celsius for this reaction to occur. The link below shows this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_oxide

The only way that I can see calcium carbonate being able to carry CO2 into the leaf is by transforming it into calcium bicarbonate which can only exist in a liquid form. In order for this reaction to occur the aqueous solution must have excess carbon dioxide present (must be pumped in).

Ashton this product really wont boost the amount of CO2 your plants take in. Like with your cuttings the best way to maximize CO2 efficiency (carbohydrate production) is to minimize evapotranspiration. Below are links to pages about evapotranspiration and cell membrane permeability.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evapotranspiration
http://library.thinkquest.org/27819/ch3_2.shtml

Like always hope this helps.

12/22/2013 11:01:25 PM

Springfield, Missouri

Sorry I meant to post this link for calcium bicarbonate as well. To produce this compound you could buy any calcium carbonate (usually very cheap). You would add it to an aerated water tank (CO2 must be added), wait for several hours until particulate is dissolved and then spray it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_bicarbonate

I know that NaHCO3 (Sodium Bicarbonate) has fungicidal properties. It may be possible that Ca(HCO3)2 my have similar properties, but that is just speculation. Matt may know for sure if this is true or not.

12/22/2013 11:17:43 PM

Minnesota

The caco3 could combine with a couple free h+ once in the plant to break the bond releasing the co2. I could be wrong though

caco3 + 2h+ ---> ca++ h2o + co2

12/23/2013 12:21:22 AM

Germany

I think CalCarb is a copycat product of Lithovit.
there is a pdf on that site which explains the mechanism of CO2 releasing/uptake under http://www.lithovit.net/en/Download.htm
Look for "Mechanism of Action"

12/23/2013 4:36:54 AM

Hinckley MN

stoichiometry makes my head hurt
almost as much as posts by...

12/23/2013 9:47:33 AM

Springfield, Missouri

Joe that is the correct chemical reaction. I am just skeptical on how much caco3 actually gets into the plant for this reaction to occur since caco3 is insoluble.

Thanks Benny, here is the lithovit web page I found.

http://www.proactiveag.com/Lithovit.html

The download link wasn't working on my computer. Calcium carbonate residue on the leaves being turned turned into calcium bicarbonate at night from dew and co2 in the air makes more sense in my opinion. The co2 would be donated back into the atmosphere as soon as the dew dried.

12/23/2013 10:07:27 AM

Lodi, California

Thanks guys for the help. I am doing an experiment this summer in 2014 with boosted levels of co2(1200-1300 ppm) compaired to the ambient level of about 350 ppm to try and increase photosynthesis. I was not aware of the affects of calcarb on co2 intake by the plant, which would be a major variable on what ppm of co2 that I would need in my patch, which is why I turned to the knowlegeable people on BP to try and get help.

12/23/2013 2:07:51 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I use Lithovit but have a bag of Calcarb to add to the rotation.

Interesting observation regarding the white resin that calcarb leave on the leaves as Lithovit does the same thing but is slighltly grey in colour.

Good luck with your experiment Ashton, I currently use the Lithovit about every 3 weeks in my rotation. My 454 gram bag that I bought several years ago still has alot left and will last for years...

12/23/2013 3:44:28 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

I read somewhere that plants only take in co2 inn the day time.forgot fancy word but the vents are close off to save water.if so wouldnt any co2 need to be done in daytime.

12/23/2013 5:05:03 PM

Lodi, California

Yardman,
Are you referring to calcarb or my experiment? The co2 generator that I'm using turns off at night.

12/23/2013 6:41:09 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Ashton just in general. Had read above comment bout dew making co2 release at night if i read right.figured it might need to be mentioned when to apply.lots of folks read this & maybe need to know

12/23/2013 7:54:25 PM

Springfield, Missouri

Yardman here is a link for you. You are talking about the CAM pathway.

http://student.ccbcmd.edu/~gkaiser/biotutorials/photosyn/c4cam.html

Pumpkin plants are C3.

12/23/2013 9:32:47 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Why Thank you sir

12/23/2013 10:21:27 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Took a read &so c4 is chemical way of making co2 in airid dry climates for plants.&pumpkins are c3 which is the most common for plants that use the stomata.<~thats the fancy word i was talkn bout

12/23/2013 10:51:32 PM

Eurasia

Duncan Logan tells us to use any CaCO3, and I said that cheaper granulated dolomite would always be better then this really expensive calcarb.
I do research with the power of UV rays for plants´ growth.
And I tell you, that you only have to get the dolomite emulsion into the stomata to let UVs break down CaCO3 and MgCO3 with H+!
So please don´t spray dolomite emulsion, when stomata are closed off in hot ambient air. Best spray upside and under-side together with the Zangendüse (one nozzle up to shade the leaf and one nozzle under the leaf to fire directly into the stomata) in the morning, when sun begins to warm the leaf. We can count 200 to 700 oval stomata per square-mm on the underside of the pumpkin leaf. So the chance to block all of them with a Ca-crust, is pretty low when we use a simple back-pack-sprayer with 3bar pressure.

12/24/2013 8:56:31 AM