Adding UV To A Grow

[stinker]

After looking through some threads for info and experience with adding UV. What I get is that too much UV is not good but some is beneficial. I didn’t see much real-time experience using it and was hoping for more clarity.

Recently I was asked to incorporate some supplemental 30w LED, UV bars, (x2) into a grow. Today is day 2 of a new grow. There is some info suggesting that there is an added benefit to using in veg, other info suggests only in flower.

At this time I am looking for ideas or any real-time experience using UV. My plan is to introduce some UV shortly after flipping to 12/12 - Probably at midday for a set time, building up to 2+ hours. That’s the idea, it can change, will need to see what I can learn in the meantime. I like the idea of introducing some UV during veg.

The lights look cool on. Like a new age black light. Now to learn how to use them in a grow. Any help or ideas are welcome.

 

[Mlburk1]

I have a UV puck and use it for 45 minutes a day during flower and move up to two 45 min sessions a day when getting closer to finish. Don't have one in veg tent

 

[stinker]

I have a UV puck and use it for 45 minutes a day during flower and move up to two 45 min sessions a day when getting closer to finish. Don't have one in veg tent

It doesn't look like it takes much.

 

[024backwards]

I like the idea/think there is some science to this, but admit to little relevant field testing. I did run two LUCKY HERP UVA UVB Reptile Light 10.0, Desert UVB 150 Compact Fluorescent Lamp 23W UVB on my prior grow (Grandaddy Purple) the last 3 weeks of flower. I worked up to 2 hours per day, in midday like you were doing and she was marvelous, but I'm not sure there is a correlation. I was unable to run them on my last grow but can't say I noticed a difference. I'd like to run a side by side compare with the same strain, one with and one w/o UVB, but I just dont have the room.. What UV puck do you use?

 

[stinker]

Thanks for the info backwards and Mlburk1.

In around 6 weeks, unless I learn something new, I will introduce the UV at around flower week 4, for around 45 minutes per day building up to a couple hours a day.
I can post the progress and results here.

UV feels sort of risky. I need to see what the rewards might be. Is it worth it?

 

[Emilya Green]

I have never run extra UV myself, but I closely followed the experiments a group of growers were doing about 12 years ago using reptile lights.
Their results suggested that full time UV was harmful to a perfect grow, even with a weak reptile light... trichomes matured passed the point of amber and into black before the plant became ready for harvest. It was ugly.

They determined that just like outside in nature, UV is best applied for some period of time around the noon hour, instead of full time. The UV from the Sun is mostly blocked by our atmosphere, but when the angle of the sun is just right, (right overhead) the UV gets through. Girls who work hard on their summer tans know that the noonday sun will burn you, while afternoon and morning sun will brown you quickly.

Trichomes are the plant's defence against the sun's rays. Stress the plant a bit around noontime with the UV and she will build more of them. Just give an hour or so of the UV, and they won't burn out. Win-Win. Garden smarter, not harder.

 

[stinker]

It will be cool trying something new. Going to take it slow. Thank you Emilya & everyone for the input.

 

[Mlburk1]

I think you will be fine and notice a difference. no more than 2 hrs don't burn them up ! I also drought at week 7

 

[Mlburk1]

Are you going with U V ? This is what I use fairly cheap and covers my 2x4 area . Not a sponsor so hopefully I don’t get in trouble

 

[2Water]

After looking through some threads for info and experience with adding UV. What I get is that too much UV is not good but some is beneficial. I didn’t see much real-time experience using it and was hoping for more clarity.

Recently I was asked to incorporate some supplemental 30w LED, UV bars, (x2) into a grow. Today is day 2 of a new grow. There is some info suggesting that there is an added benefit to using in veg, other info suggests only in flower.

At this time I am looking for ideas or any real-time experience using UV. My plan is to introduce some UV shortly after flipping to 12/12 - Probably at midday for a set time, building up to 2+ hours. That’s the idea, it can change, will need to see what I can learn in the meantime. I like the idea of introducing some UV during veg.

The lights look cool on. Like a new age black light. Now to learn how to use them in a grow. Any help or ideas are welcome.

I have a 36w led uvb bar in my 3x3, I used it all through veg, and the started gradually decreasing to 2 hours a day currently. Will be 9 weeks in 12/12 on Sunday. This is my first grow, I attached the black light to my main light so they could hang to together, but I lowered the lights and beat the plants a little I think. They are really compact and super tight node spacing. I decided to use it in the chance it would increase terpenes. Looking at about a week til chop, but they are smelling sweet and they are sticky as hell! Good luck on your grow!

 

[stinker]

Thanks 2Water, did you see any advantage to using the UV during Veg?

 

[2Water]

Honestly not really. I did hammer then with light, so with the led uv the nodes spacing was super tight. Tons of resin production and terps, but I'm not sure if that is all related or not. My buddy is growing the rest of the pack without adding uv, I'll be able to compare once both harvests are cured

 

[stinker]

Today I am adding the UV. I'm always cautious when trying anything that is 100% new. Its grow day 45 and 20 of 12/12.
30 minutes of the UV/IR will be added, the timer has been set! I will be using two 30w LED, UVA/UVB bars. They are scheduled to come on at 5.5 hours and off again at 6 hours into the light cycle. If all looks good more time will be added next week.

Flowers are forming on all now. A few will still stretch some more. All caution to the wind, the .5 hr cant hurt?
All feedback is welcome.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Many grow lights don't provide any UV - the sun does, all day long. If you can determine exactly how much total non-UV light energy you have, it's probably safe to add 6% of that amount in UV during your lights-on period.

I used to know the average amount that reached the ground at a moderately high altitude (think "highlands sativa," lol, not "Everest's peak"), but I have since forgotten. Seems like it was a bit less than seven percent, but I could be mistaken. The mind... <SHRUGS>

Those reptile bulbs don't seem to add a whole lot - if a Reptisun "10.0" bulb produces 10% of its output in that portion of the spectrum, but the entire bulb only consumes 18 watts, well... Some of the newer special purpose UV devices might, though. IIRC, unjacketed metal halide bulbs produced some. The old mercury vapor lamps were somewhat notorious for their UV output (and not producing much usable light, lol).

 

[FourtwentyCent]

is it safe to order online, guys? I'm just afraid to be followed to my business

 

[TorturedSoul]

is it safe to order online, guys? I'm just afraid to be followed to my business

To order what online, UV lighting? I am not aware of any country in which such things are illegal, if that helps. If, on the other hand, you are asking about ordering cannabis seeds... I wouldn't advise getting them delivered to your house if you happen to live in Singapore, because they were scheduled to execute some poor schmuck who lost his cell phone, and then a year later someone got caught using his number in regards to receiving some cannabis. Which leads me to believe that they're not exactly going to shower someone who gets caught in possession of seeds with love, either. I've gotten the impression that the Australian customs agents must completely disassemble every package that crosses the border into its constituent atoms during their investigation, because they seem to snag a lot of seeds. If you live in the eastern portion of the USA, well... you're more likely to have your seeds stolen by the people working at the NY ISC than for them to be intercepted by customs. If, however, they do find seeds, they will kindly replace them with a letter. Which used to invite the recipient to call and make an appointment to discuss the matter if he/she wishes to dispute it; but I haven't received one in years, so the content might have changed. If one does receive a letter, it's more an annoyance than a worry - the fact that someone sent seeds to you is in no way proof that YOU ordered the things.

But lighting? <SHRUGS> If the delivery driver has an indoor garden, and the company you purchased the item from couldn't be bothered to stick it into a brown box and, instead, merely slapped a label onto the retail box... then you might receive a knowing grin along with your light. . . .

 

[CaptainLucky]

To order what online, UV lighting? I am not aware of any country in which such things are illegal, if that helps. If, on the other hand, you are asking about ordering cannabis seeds... I wouldn't advise getting them delivered to your house if you happen to live in Singapore, because they were scheduled to execute some poor schmuck who lost his cell phone, and then a year later someone got caught using his number in regards to receiving some cannabis. Which leads me to believe that they're not exactly going to shower someone who gets caught in possession of seeds with love, either. I've gotten the impression that the Australian customs agents must completely disassemble every package that crosses the border into its constituent atoms during their investigation, because they seem to snag a lot of seeds. If you live in the eastern portion of the USA, well... you're more likely to have your seeds stolen by the people working at the NY ISC than for them to be intercepted by customs. If, however, they do find seeds, they will kindly replace them with a letter. Which used to invite the recipient to call and make an appointment to discuss the matter if he/she wishes to dispute it; but I haven't received one in years, so the content might have changed. If one does receive a letter, it's more an annoyance than a worry - the fact that someone sent seeds to you is in no way proof that YOU ordered the things.

But lighting? <SHRUGS> If the delivery driver has an indoor garden, and the company you purchased the item from couldn't be bothered to stick it into a brown box and, instead, merely slapped a label onto the retail box... then you might receive a knowing grin along with your light. . . .

I ordered some Panama X Bangi Haze seeds from @Herbies Seeds and I kept waiting for the P.O. to redelivere them because I had to sign n missed the delivery. I went to the P.O. and got the envelope but it was open with a letter from U.S.D.A. saying they destroyed my seeds because Herbies didn’t include a form. Smh CL

 

[stinker]

Welcome FourtwentyCent. When possible ask for plain boxing that doesn't indicate the contents of the parcel.

I ordered some Panama X Bangi Haze seeds from @Herbies Seeds and I kept waiting for the P.O. to redelivere them because I had to sign n missed the delivery. I went to the P.O. and got the envelope but it was open with a letter from U.S.D.A. saying they destroyed my seeds because Herbies didn’t include a form. Smh CL

Sorry you lost the seeds CL.
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The night the UV was started, I ended up staying awake to make sure the lights turned on and more specifically off. It worked. So I screwed with the timer for some reason – making sure! These digital timers have options. While making sure! I changed the Off schedule and the plants ended up getting 4+ hours of UV.
The timer was set to come on at 2:am - 7 days a week. Off - was inadvertently changed to Mon Wed Fri. It should have stayed set to Off - 7 days a week. Hence the 4 hrs on as they were turned off when I woke up.

Everything seems okay and the timer was switched back to 30 min. Tonight I will up the On time to 40 minutes and will aim for 1 hour a night by next week. I am running out of headroom so everything is tight. The UV might have stopped the last of the stretch. I appreciate all the feedback.

 

[Mlburk1]

Man those digital timers are so confusing ! I went back to the green and red things you put where you want on and off with mechanical timers

 

[bluter]

Man those digital timers are so confusing ! I went back to the green and red things you put where you want on and off with mechanical timers

the digital timers can be a mess to program.

a lot of the mechanical timers now use plastic gears to make them cheaper to build. the gears often strip out now. a lot of mechanicals now won't last an entire grow.

get a real good brand name if you do go for a mechanical.

edit : if you are running a decent led from a good mfgr supplemental UV is totally unnecessary and may even be detrimental depending on the amount of exposure.