Supplemental uv?

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Appalachianhills

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #1

What does everyone think about adding uv? I'm have 2x600 in a 4'x5.5x 7 purpose built room. I'm rolling around the idea of adding 3 4't5 fixtures with some reptile bulbs in a |0|0| configuration. What kind of light schedule should I run them and at what point of flower do you actually start running them?

 

Chunky Stool

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #2

There are a few good threads about UV. If you've got a grow space larger than 5X5, T5 bulbs make a lot of sense. Another option is bare bulb MH or CMH. HPS doesn't provide UV and neither do most LEDs.
For smaller spaces, lizard lights work well.

 

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #3

The research I read said leave the light on 2-3 hours each side of noon, simulating peak sunlight uv levels. So, in a 12 hour on cycle, hours 5-8 or 4-9 of your cycle. 4-6 hours centered in your cycle.

 

luv2grow

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #4

Ease your plants into it. Don't just blast them with 3 hours of UVA/UVB. And don't be in there when the lamps are on.
Yes it's super beneficial and reptile lamps are the old schools, these lamps are far better http://www.htgsupply.com/products/agromax-pure-uv-t5-bulb-4-foot

 

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Appalachianhills

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #5

Thanks for the advice. How long into flower do you start using it?

 

luv2grow

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #6

depends on the strain mostly. general rule though for me is around week 3-4. The main point with uv is to push as much frost as we can. It's the plants way of shielding itself from the Uv rays. That should give you a good idea when to start it on your girls

 

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #7

luv2grow said:

depends on the strain mostly. general rule though for me is around week 3-4. The main point with uv is to push as much frost as we can. It's the plants way of shielding itself from the Uv rays. That should give you a good idea when to start it on your girls

Click to expand...

My question is...Is it going to hurt anything to use uv from bloom week 1. I have a clone chamber, veg chamber, and bloom chamber. 4 Scrog plants, 2 go into bloom every 4 weeks. Can't really start uv week 4.

 

luv2grow

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #8

As long as you have healthy plants I'd have to say you should be fine. It's just added stress. Outdoor grows work just fine with Uv all season.

 

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #9

Right, that's what I figured. I'm not doing anything drastic. I thought about tube flouro's but I'm just doing some Reptisun's in Bayco Brooder Reflectors. Can't remember where I learned about this...Either Ed Rosenthal's book, but maybe Read Spear's.

 

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #10

I guess I'm kind of using each UV as a spot light with the Bayco's. I could just run 2 pairs separate timers. The others might catch a little residual until I get to week 3 or 4, then start increasing the from dead center midday to covering the whole 4-6 hour time span. I heard the same warnings. Don't work in there with them on. This may be a good thing. Keeping me from being in there all the time. A good window of maintenance in the start of the photoperiod and at the end.