Did some reading on supplementary UV

[ukscroger]

I don't see many people here using it and think that's probably wise. There's a whole lot of conflicting and contradictory information out there. I found a good paper which might explain the positive home grower reports and Bugbee's comments saying the opposite. If he cannot find anything along with Guelph Uni repeating 4x and also finding nothing I would tent to trust that. Then Shanes video came out showing definite improvements in 1 paper by Dutch Passion.

 

I found a reddit poster who said he's run 4 tests with varying intervals and 15min per day gives the best results but the bulbs don't last (really don't like cycling so you don't get more lifetime despite running less minutes). He said he now uses it for 24hrs between runs for sterilising only -which I reckon makes financial sense considering some results: 

 

Better looking sugar leaves

 

More content in sugar leaves

 

Less content in the buds

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9551646/

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvINwsf6cFw

Edited September 6 by ukscroger
Found a new Bugbee video saying most of this.

[green_machine]

Thanks for posting this @ukscroger I found it informative.

 

I recently added UVa and UVb to my 2x4 grow tent and know that 30 mins UV exposure during veg completely fried my plants I saw extensive damage.

 

I had turned off the UV and was going to try shorter exposure periods during flower so it was constructive to see that they were getting good results with short UV exposure times.

 

My current plan is to start again with the UV light during week 4 of flower, and then increase it each week by 5 minutes till I hit a maximum exposure of 15 minutes at week 6 after this I would stop the UV and allow the plant to finish growing without it.

 

I use one of the migro UV lights.

Edited September 6 by green_machine
spelling

[ukscroger]

From the post : enough supplemental UV for a 4x4? on microgrowery subred. Youtube then did it';s thing and recommended a random video with 3500views that shows amazing results from under canopy lights which would be a far better investment for everyone looking into UV and IR bars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA4tcWkO5Dc

[DeltaMelter]

I use them (2 x 60W Solarcure T5 bulbs) but I think the benefits are marginal.

 

If used during veg (as @green_machine found) you can cripple your plants. I accidentally screwed up a timer and blasted 3 Holy Grail Kush plants with UV like this for 2 hours. They never grew over 18 inches even though the mum they were cut from was a 4ft plant. It totally stunted them. The flowers were different too and quite weak.

 

I have applied the same stress unwittingly during early flower too and it does reduce stretch but I'm not sure at what cost.

 

I now use it in very short bursts (15mins) as it "tickles" the plants and does seem to stimulate diferent resin profiles. I would say its "stronger" but it seems more 'medicinal' and the terps are different. Not better as such - but different. I haven't switched them on at all during my current run though.

 

You can very easily damage plants so I wouldn't recommend them to most growers - you might get more/same benefit from CMH lights instead.

 

Just my 2p.

[DeltaMelter]

What I need to do (one day!) is a test run with 9 clones in the 4x4 and just one UV light - that way only half the plants (positioned carefully probably just 3 plants) will get hit with the UV and I will be able to do a direct comparison, same clones same environment and feeds with the only differnce being half get the UV and half don't.

 

Anecdotally - I have no UV in the 3x3 and the plants are less "terpy" when flowered in there - but that could be a number of things like light intensity, temps and airflow so I don;t really read into that much.

[Herbal Kint]

Am totally in,just have to buy it first

 

Ill report back in here

[ukscroger]

15 minutes ago, Herbal Kint said:

Am totally in,just have to buy it first

 

Ill report back in here

There's more positive reports from under canopy lights. I'm going to add those first. I might add UV and try a side by side one day.

[Herbal Kint]

All right,never heard of those,i was looking into Lumatek uvAB

[Military Grade]

My last grow had Blueberry Muffin that I decided to keep a cut of, that wasn't grown with UVA but this grow now I'm growing a cut and going to be using the UVA bars this time round to test the difference. The strain is already super terpy Blueberry Gum is how it stands atm be interesting to see how it differs, will it be the same profile but more pronounced or with it change the profile with the addition of new terps caused from UV.

 

Dr Bruce Bugbee was on the Dudes grow show the other day discussing UV lights effects on cannabis.

 

Edited September 6 by Military Grade

[Shumroom]

That's the Mantis from Grow The Jungle in one of my flowering areas

 

 

Only time I don't use it is when plants are too close to the lights. 

oops.

 

I'm going veg for less time in future

 

 

4 hours per day after around 4-5 weeks of 12/12

 

Atb 

 

 

 

[ukscroger]

Shane's just dropped a new one on under/inter canopy lighting 

 

[DeltaMelter]

LOL I've just starting watching it too! Just dropped!