New Grower UVB and plants

[Eastwood]

As many people have read on the internet, plants exposed to UVB will wither and die. I have always been doumbfounded by the remarks made on the forums. Being in the lighting business and having done a bit of field research in what the natural enviorment is exposed to, including plants and animals, I thought it would be interesting to post a couple of pictures of my hibiscus plants. I have 3 that i rotate for one of my animals to be able to eat. Generaly its known that you can not get hibiscus to flower inside during the winter months and is also considered diffcult to get to continue to grow and produce new leaves. the plant you see here is one of the 3 I rotate. while I have never had problems keeping them producing good leaf, this year is the first time i had to posistion the plants under my very high UVB producing mercury vapor bulb that is used to keep my reptiles healthy. the plants not only flower, and continue to flower, but theView attachment 170703 leaves grow thicker and with the deep green shinny look that they have during the summer when they are exposed to the same high UVB outside. If you look close, you will see a new bud right under the bulb. once it opens, i have to turn the plant as at this distance it getting 4x's the microwatts that nature would supply. It is promply eaten before it wilts by my girl (about 3 days for these species) just FYI stuff View attachment 170702

 

[SCARHOLE]

I swear the UV does get more trics.
At least outdoors in colorado for me 6000+ ft elev.

Do you have any testing equiptment for UVB?
Could you share your testing procedures with us?
Ill put my MV back up if it will deliver Enuff UVB for increased tricks.
But a friend convinced me they aren't Enuff to replicate outdoor High altitude UVB.

I always wanted to break the alumisilicate outer bulb on a MV an use it for UV.
Have you ever heard of this or tried this for UVB?

 

[X]

I've seen this discussed on other forums but I've always seen the use encouraged, not discouraged. If you want to ad UVB, you don't have to use a MH, the large pet shops have an assortment of lighting and wattages for reptile environments.

 

[Eekman]

I read a thread on another forum from a very admired and since deceased member, who posted about this. It is very interesting. One of the things I got most out of the thread was this... Also, this thread was from around 2008.

You get most of your UVB from the sun when it is at it's peak. If you can have your plants finishing their cycle when the sun is highest in the sky (July to early August), they will produce a lot more bud, then if you wait till late september or early october. Not easy to do.

But it has been done, by getting your girls ready to flower inside at 18/6 then flip to 12/12 at about the end of may, they should be nice full flowers by early July, then put 'em outside, and enjoy a better harvest

How does this apply to auto's? Well it would be easier to get an auto outside at the right time of this peak UVB period. and you could probably get two harvests in this period if you were diligent.

I will see if I can find that thread if it is okay by the mods. Any mods say this is okay?

Eek

 

[X]

I also recall, after thinking about it, there was a schedule they were using... the UVB light was on it's own timer and it was pretty involved. The main point is, they don't just put a UVB lamp in there at some point of the grow and let it burn with the other lights... it has to be gradually introduced an hour on... a few hours off... hour on... etc. Something to that effect. That's why I never started using it... I'm way too lazy to fool with something like that.

I will see if I can find that thread if it is okay by the mods. Any mods say this is okay?

Sorry, didn't see this until I had submitted the top paragraph of this post. I have no problem with having good information brought in, without regard to where it comes from... so long as it's public access or we have permission. :thumbs:


Just checked... you're good to go on the link. :thumbs:

 

[Eekman]

by the Honorable: McOne

During my reading yesterday I found that UVB increases resin drastically, and the amount of UVB available is in direct relation to the amount of thc produced. This means that plants who get more light energy can produce more thc in the end, but it also means that all artificial lights and any HID that passes through glass will produce buds of an quote "standardized (limited) potency."

Supplemental UVB is available from reptile lights and MH's without the glass, and tanning bulbs, but the most uvb is available towards the equater (Hawaii gets 4x the amount as Illinois) and for the US, the western coast gets nearly double that of the east. The peak uvb time is June 22nd so the best and most potent outdoor is force flowered outside with shade curtains to take advantage of the extreme UVB available mid summer as opposed to plants which ripen in the fall and do not have access to as much UVB and dont produce as much resin per inch.

Resin is the plants form of sunblock -- the more UVB the more resin the plants produce to shield themselves.

On plants where UVB levels are sufficient the bud tips will be completely immersed in trichomes
Trichomes that recieve sufficient UVB light will swell to fill the available surface area between other trichome heads creating a glass coating over the bud with very little plant material visible.

In a garden that uses 1000w of HID 100w of UVB bulbs are suggested, so 10% of your output should be supplemented.
Make sure to ease them in, meaning start with very little (a minute or two every hour or so) during the peak daylight hours ONCE RESIN IS PRESENT and at a heightened distance from the plants) otherwise you will BURN YOUR PLANTS and the damage wont show up for a couple days after the burn!

Additionally, When using this technique you can plan on seeing resin where ever the UVB supplemented light reaches, so FIMMING, multiple cropping and super-cropping can be employed to position more of your floral clusters at the canopy where light is the most intense and resin production is highest.

Remember to use sunglasses or turn off the lights when working in the room because I am reading the lights can damage your eyes.

aquarium lights are the most efficient source, and cost effective, that I could find.
You can get targeted bulbs for Psoriasis that are perfect UVB, but it is 7w for a few hundred bucks. Lizard lights are 10% UVB output, higher than many tanning bulbs, and can run (24") 10 bucks a piece for T5's. and it is easy to hang a t5 bank down the sides to side light.

The biggest concern is to have a separate switch set up to turn them O if you go into the tent. you will burn to a crisp in minutes.
but they do work nicely, and if you turn your plants a little every day, you get the UVB all around it. Suppliment 8 bulb banks 1/2 UVB 1/2 2000k (that is red, isn't it? i get them mixed up) and you get a little boost in light and UVB, good for yield and potency.

There you go, his research and thoughts on the subject.

Eek

 

[Eastwood]

I swear the UV does get more trics.
At least outdoors in colorado for me 6000+ ft elev.

Do you have any testing equiptment for UVB?
Could you share your testing procedures with us?
Ill put my MV back up if it will deliver Enuff UVB for increased tricks.
But a friend convinced me they aren't Enuff to replicate outdoor High altitude UVB.

Yes, I have very sophisticated equipment either at my place of business and also laboratory grade spectrometers at my disposal. This post was not meant to prove that UVB will make your plants "better" although inside flowering for these is rare and this (as my scientist friends like to word things when peered reviewed double blind studies have not been done) "would suggest" that the use of UVB aided if the flowering cycle of this verity of plant.


Please understand that any information I give pertaining to the cultivation of marijuana is intended for those that can use it legally. Please check your local laws before applying any recommendations I post.

 

[Eastwood]

I've seen this discussed on other forums but I've always seen the use encouraged, not discouraged. If you want to ad UVB, you don't have to use a MH, the large pet shops have an assortment of lighting and wattages for reptile environments.

Hey Testerx, This is a reptile UVB lamp. most mercury vapor lamps on the market do not emit UVB for more than 2 months and the tubes don't have enough UVB to help with the exception of the new style T5 HO Arcadia and ZooMed tubes. I have friends in Colorado that grow for medical use (cancer and needs the hemp oil) and has claimed that the THC and CBD’s were increased when he used a specialty UVB reptile bulb called the “Zoologist” MV bulb meant for zoos that needed UVB at 3+ feet. But the UV is so high at close distance that it would burn the plants, or anything else because they emit 2000uW/cm2 at 30cm. He claims that he had his meds lab tested and I have no reason to disbelieve a dieing man. I recommended the Arcidia T5 tubes because they could be run from top to bottom (vertical) to expose the whole plant without having to use the “Zoologist” bulb that could burn if it got to close and also didn’t add any heat to speak of. I believe that he told me he was allowed to grow 4 plants so he grew them as big as possible. (this may have changed as laws change)

As a side note, I do not recommend these HO tubes for reptiles as there has been no D3 blood testing and the spectrum is all wrong compared to the natural sun and I believe that they will actually create way to much vitamin D3 J

Please understand that any information I give pertaining to the cultivation of marijuana is intended for those that can use it legally. Please check your local laws before applying any recommendations I post.

 

[X]

I recommended the Arcidia T5 tubes because they could be run from top to bottom (vertical) to expose the whole plant without having to use the “Zoologist” bulb that could burn if it got to close and also didn’t add any heat to speak of.

Just for my own clarity, you are saying the Arcidia T5 doesn't burn the plants like other UVB bulbs?

 

[Eastwood]

Hello ME,

thank you for this post!! Its pretty accurate (one of the coolest I have seen on a plant forum so far) but to clear just a few points.

Almost anywhere on the earth, at some point of the year you can measure 300-400uW/cm2 its just that the closer to the equator you are, the more consistent it is. Elevation also plays a roll in the intensity of UV.

Your MH grow lights do not emit any UVB, and zero UVB and very little UVA goes through glass unless its been manufactured for that purpose (I can give a list but not necessary here)

The amount of UV your plant should be exposed to should not exceed the amount you would be exposed to in nature, so no, you will not be burned to a crisp by it in your tent but you should always ware any kind of safety or sun glass’s (they all filter the UV out so that expensive “special” coating you pay for when you get glass’s is just a rip off because the plastic already does that for them).

In nature, the plants are being exposed to the same UVB if not more then when they flower, but I do believe that at least some of the conclusions of naturally occurring “protection” from the UVB during the flowering period is a sound conclusion. But it was interesting to see this species of plant react the way they did just out of chance. It was not an intentional project, just an observation when placement of my animals plant changed.

Phototherapy lamps generally produce way high levels of UVB and without a meter such as the 6.2 Solar Meter, I would be careful with them. The % (5.0% and such) is all BS as there is no government regulation of these figures or how they post them.