Toronto based CO2 GRO announces a series of positive flower grow trials using dissolved CO2 spray versus no CO2 gassing at a commercial Michigan flower greenhouse.
The first two trials were done on Vinca Minor “periwinkle” flowers that were sprayed with dissolved CO2 in a large commercial greenhouse that does not use CO2 gassing. The dissolved CO2 sprayed flowers were healthier, showing 1) more branching and side shoots with bigger, thicker leaves, 2) more advanced root systems delivering more water and nutrients up to the leaves and 3) no undue stretching all of which contribute to increased value per flower plant. No additional plant growth regulators were required for the dissolved CO2 treated flowers. Additionally, these flowers were commercially ready to ship 7-10 days faster at 32-35 days versus the control flowers requiring 42 days.
The third and fourth trials were on chrysanthemums resulting in bushier plants without additional stretching with deeper, more vibrant flower coloring. Propagation times were consistently reduced by one-third to 14 days versus the control flowers requiring 21 days.
The fifth flower trial now underway for a period of five weeks is on 42,000 cordyline juvenile plants that will be commercially sold at maturity. A fully automated overhead irrigation system is systematically pulsing dissolved CO2 spray on these flowers. Early results are very promising but accelerated maturity and other features to determine the exact advantage of CO2 Foliar Spray technology on cordyline plants is two months away.
John Archibald, CEO of GROW stated "We are really pleased with these Michigan flower results as the global flower market is a $200 billion / year retail business. Flowers are more valuable than food on a greenhouse per square foot basis. Being a key part of a commercial flower operation is validating our revenue model of charging a determined portion of increased revenue based on incremental plant productivity. Our patented dissolved CO2 Foliar Spray technology simply mixes CO2 and water for both indoor and outdoor use. Most greenhouses cannot use CO2 gassing due to porosity while those in warmer drier areas like California do not have the need for enclosed glass walls. We are very excited to start outdoor grow trials shortly in California that produces a majority of North America’s vegetables which are grown year-round. The value of plants grown outside of greenhouses is 20 times greater than those grown in greenhouses.”