UV Light to max THC

Does anyone have experience using UV light as a supplement along with HPS during flowering? The research seems to indicate a strong correlation between UV exposure and THC development. The question is how to provide the most economical source for the UV. This last grow I used a 250W MH (mogul base) along with a 600W HPS. No glass in the reflector. Results seemed to be better. I'm thinking of setting up a pair of double ended MH bulbs in the reflector. It seems that double ended bulbs don't block the same level of UV as the outer jacket on mogul base bulbs. Any guru's out there with some real experience in this arena?

you could just get a bulb with enhanced uv-b which is awesome but not necessary unless your going for the cup..

Im running two UV bulbs now. 2 weeks from finishing flowering so I will let you know

What kind of bulbs are you using? Thanks for the reply.

Two of the bigger ones
Zoo Med ReptiSun Compact Fluorescent UVB Lamp at PETCO

UVB sounded great to me till I read that it can blind you and it really doesn't do a whole lot for a low end grower like myself.

What has been ya'lls experience with it?

Kludge is right - you have to be very careful. UVB can damage vision and cause cancer. I grow in an enclosed cabinet about 3X7. It is light tight. Right now I'm using a 250W MH to supplement the 600W HPS. I'm seeing better results than with the HPS alone. The MH is a mogul base so the outer jacket does filter alot of the UV. I don't use glass in the reflector at all - that glass will block any remaining UV. I also run the daylight cycle at night. It is easy for me to avoid going in the cabinet while lights are on. I've thought about the reptile lights, but have held back because the output seems to low for what we're looking for. Unfortunately there isn't any data about the quantity of UV emitted by various bulbs, including bulbs that require an enclosed fixture. We'll have to figure this one out ourselves.

I use the reptile uvb light 10.0 from petsmart. My friends and i have noticed a difference in the quantity of thc witht he light. Im using same nutes(hesi) same seeds from my collection same 600w lightbulb and ballast except ive had the uv light running 24/7. there is a major difference in trichome production and it also helps breakdown more thc into cbn and cbd so you get a killer buzz. the light is in the middle of a 2x2 hydro tray of 15 plants

twinturbochronic said:

there is a major difference in trichome production and it also helps breakdown more thc into cbn and cbd so you get a killer buzz.

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Less THC and more CBN and CBD is a bad thing for me. I like the head high with just enough body stone to let you know you're fucked up.

do blacklights work for that arent they uv?

Yes, blacklights do put out UV, just relatively low levels. I'm not sure of the spetrum of light they put out either - may be more in the UV-A range. I've seen comments from folks that have gone that route, but I'm looking for more intensity. SG.

Anyone with some time on their hands, this is a very long and difficult read, but incredibly useful

Cannabis THC

i just accquired some tanning bulbs/fixtures im working now with my electrician to see if we can make a fixture that holds only 2 of these bulbs as they are 160 watts each. i'll post back when its up and going these things are intense im curious if anyone has experiance with these kind of bulbs?

heres a link to similar bulbs http://www.tanningonline.com/tanninglamps.html

Black lights are rich in UVa and only put out a tiny amount of UVb. Not really enough UVb for our purpose. There are still other bulbs on the market that put out UV- a, b, and c. But be extremely careful with both UV-b&c. They are carcinogenic to humans and cause retinal and macular damage.
The exact mechanisms and mixes of UV for the trichosomal maturation aren't fully understood.

For me, I'm hedging my bet and so far I'm drinking from my saucer, 'cause my cup is overflown.

ISmokePotBecauseItsCool said:

Anyone with some time on their hands, this is a very long and difficult read, but incredibly useful

Cannabis THC

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great read! +rep

I know its an old post but its an ongoing topic..

Anyone attempting to use UVB light for flowering that DOESN'T want to degrade THC levels to CBD and CBN should be careful with your flowering phase times.. My recent experience showed me that the plant matures (trichs start going amber early) about 1-1.5 weeks quicker if you use UVB lights 12/12 at flowering time. This doesn't mean you'll have nice tight nugs though.. We are going to have to balance the UVB exposure somehow to get more and tighter buds before the THC degrades.

This time around I'll be introducing UVB light at about 3-5% of my total light output in week 2 of flowering and shutting it off 1 week before flush.. Hopefully this will balance out the maturation rate with the bud grow rate and create loads of resin..

Its an experiment well worth trying.. I'll be posting it in a grow journal if I can get over an old habit of not creating evidence and take pictures of my grow..

Interesting

I have been considering adding some UVB in between two rows of HID, but this last post confirms one should be careful