UVB lights for bloom

svap

Active member
Hello,
I am wondering if UVB 5.0 lamps like the ones that are used with tropical animals will give and advantage for the production of resin.

Or will it just stress the plants?

Has anyone experimented with this?
 
You want a bulb that will go down to 280nm. Weed has a receptor at 280nm.

The Solacure Flower Power 32w has its strongest range from 280nm-305nm. No other UVA/B bulb is as powerful in this range. Most are 305nm-315nm

Solacure also have a Reflector Built Into the Bulb for more efficiency as one cant reflect UVA/B as it gets absorbed, and is useless with a regular fluroescent type reflector.

A 32w Solacure is 20x more powerful than the Arcadia 54w UVA/B Desert Reptile bulb, which is the most powerful Reptile bulb made. Solacure can also run up to 80w as it is way overbuilt, but is not need to run at 80w. Overbuilt makes them last longer. They also use really expensive glass as to not limit UVA/B transmission.
 
You want a bulb that will go down to 280nm. Weed has a receptor at 280nm.
Thanks, highly appreciated info! Thanks for the tip on Solacure, I'll check it out!

I was going to buy some cheap UVB lights for reptiles but Solacure is just another planet compared to what I was thinking of buying.
 
I've experimented with them a good bit in a micrbox i do some breeding in. The UVB 5.0 or 10 are not going to give you the effects your lokig for (increased resin, longer lasting, more profound, high with more depth, more complete, richer smell, deeper quality taste, larger and greater number of trichomes per bract) Ive actually had better results running the UVA zoomeds, at 4hrs, mid cycle on a 11/13 or 10hr 45min cycle from start of flower to finish.

The UVB overmatured the trichomes before the ovules were ready, giving rise to a high similar to an overripe bud, that wierd burned brain feeling from CBN. Run full cycle or anything over 4.5hrs per light cycle and both gave that feeling. I see hella lot of folklore about UVB but the true quality and depth of high as if sun grown somewhere deep in the carribean sea comes from UVA not B.

Granted I run at a much higher concentration than most have experimeted with though. My micro breeder box has 14 warmwhite LED's seperated by acrylic sheet and 2 UVA zoomeds under that, and a peltier temperature control system all cramed into a 18"x 26" space, so.......

goodluck on your experimentation brother, i experimented, changing one detail every week or every cycle for like 9yrs strait before i settled into something accepteable to my high ass standards for quality, LOL... keep experimenting and keep learning what works for you.
Commercial is a different beast all together.
 
I see hella lot of folklore about UVB but the true quality and depth of high as if sun grown somewhere deep in the carribean sea comes from UVA not B.
I found this UVA kit, they also sell DIY lamps. I am looking for the deep carribean sea high indeed. Tried it in the past, never forgot it.

Here there is the datasheet for the UV led above

Ive actually had better results running the UVA zoomeds, at 4hrs, mid cycle on a 11/13 or 10hr 45min cycle from start of flower to finish.
so I the plants do not need to have UVA full time, just for a limited time, I guess mimicking the peack time the plants have outside when the sun is over them.
goodluck on your experimentation brother
Thanks, good grows to you too! Really appreciated the information. I love to learn and in this field there is a lot to learn!!! :)

What do you mean with "commercial is a different beast all together"? You refer to the quality of commercial weed? In my experience nothing beats outdoor equatorial weed, but I would love to learn enough to prove me wrong :)
 
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Looks like a awesome find... i havent tried them myself only the florescent ones...

Yeah i try to imitate outdoor island growing or mountain growing in my lighting n experimented from there...

I did most of my growing on the east side of the island n a majority of the best buds down there are grown in the middle of a 20ft high bush plot or on the side of a large hill.. none of which get 12hrs of direct lighting. Its 6-8 max with few hours of ambient/indirect lighting , b4 the sun disappears behind the tree line, or hill side headed west. Humidity is fairly stable around 50-60 year round except for rainy/hurricane season around November time... imitating that improved the quality and propper finishing of my sativas or sativa leaning hybrids...along with feeding nitrogen low as possible to keep a plant healthy n occasional low spikes of PK here n there.
 
N when i say midcycle im refferring to light cycle not flowering cycle... 4-4.5 in the middle of a shortened 11/13 or shorter straight through flowering... you'll love it

So few have experienced that 3 dimensional island high... its like night n day in the same exact cuts... whats the best you've tried down them parts? Smoking down there the best and not the tourist crap, ive had a local short season breed that tasted of pure strawberries n would make u feel like your skydiving in reverse... i mean soaring but with a wicked spiritual bliss effect that was absolutely amazing... n a few others you never forget...n u always knew it was what we call homegrown vs stateside stuff bc u would get these auditory hallucinations that seem to enhance your hearing for miles... n the damn smell when burned mmmmm i miss it
 
The time i was down there b4 i left AK47 n a few others were just hitting the island and were completely boring with no dimensions to the high compared to the couple of inbred locals.... even the older skunk strains down there were freaking fanatical sativa highs compared to the AK n widows that were brand new at the time. There was another two local long season strains down there one im not lying tasted of Welch's passionfruit n the other of a dry bourbon flavor that had some awesome freakin highs behind them...agh not sure ill ever find them local creations again in today's genetics.
 
Looks like a awesome find... i havent tried them myself only the florescent ones...

Yeah i try to imitate outdoor island growing or mountain growing in my lighting n experimented from there...

I did most of my growing on the east side of the island n a majority of the best buds down there are grown in the middle of a 20ft high bush plot or on the side of a large hill.. none of which get 12hrs of direct lighting. Its 6-8 max with few hours of ambient/indirect lighting , b4 the sun disappears behind the tree line, or hill side headed west. Humidity is fairly stable around 50-60 year round except for rainy/hurricane season around November time... imitating that improved the quality and propper finishing of my sativas or sativa leaning hybrids...along with feeding nitrogen low as possible to keep a plant healthy n occasional low spikes of PK here n there.
I like to replicate Highland desert/mountain steppe type conditions for my grow room. Either cool and dry all the time in flower w/ super bright full spectrum as possible lighting, or hot and dry days w/ cool and dry nights. Ive had insanely terpy bud from 90 degree+ flower rooms w/ lights on before because of proper air flower, 75 degree nights, and varietal selection.
If you cant afford an AC, why not grow plants bred for Summer light dep tunnels or desert cultivation? One must choose for environment before effect when one cant afford to control environment.
 
The Budget LED panels have UVA built in...

"Full-spectrum white, 385nm UVA, 660nm deep red, and 730nm far red"
"Our Series 3+ Red Spec 250 Watt Indoor LED grow light is designed to be the ultimate flowering unit while also being our highest PPE unit available. Each kit utilizes 2 of our custom designed & full spectrum LED boards with Samsung LM301H, UVA, Samsung LH351H Deep Red 660nm, and Samsung LH351H Far Red 730nm. Samsung most notably highlights that the LM301H diode carries a PPE of 3.03 μmol/J and includes anti-sulfurization .This unit is dimmable, with wattage output from 30 to 255 (+/- 5%) watts"
I have been led to believe the UV chips burn out the fastest, and should be separate from the main board. but IDK if that is just Gavita and HLG propaganda. as they both have UVA lamps, and HLG has a blue and red "emerson effect" type supplemental light that I think has uva and a little bit of infrared.
 
For 400/600/1000w HPS lights and fixtures, I bought some of these so called 'conversion' bulbs that are really MH and run on any HPS ballast. They are from iPower. They are also cheap in price. They are available in two output levels, and have a higher spectrum in UV than standard MH well into the UV range. They are high PAR 6000k.

I generally run my grows outdoors in greenhouses and I only start and finish my runs with these lights, and in the case that I overwinter mothers or clones. I also have HPS bulbs to add the red end of the spectrum, alternating bulbs in overlapping bat wing reflectors.

iPower MH.jpg
 
For 400/600/1000w HPS lights and fixtures, I bought some of these so called 'conversion' bulbs that are really MH and run on any HPS ballast. They are from iPower. They are also cheap in price. They are available in two output levels, and have a higher spectrum in UV than standard MH well into the UV range. They are high PAR 6000k.

I generally run my grows outdoors in greenhouses and I only start and finish my runs with these lights, and in the case that I overwinter mothers or clones. I also have HPS bulbs to add the red end of the spectrum, alternating bulbs in overlapping bat wing reflectors.

View attachment 49304
I love the old type conversion bulbs! the "blue" HPS is more effecient to run than a MH bulb if I remember right.
 
I love the old type conversion bulbs! the "blue" HPS is more effecient to run than a MH bulb if I remember right.

These are newer type conversion bulbs though, with a wider range of spectrum with more up into the lower UV/blue wavelength. They are more like CMH in spectrum. They are blue! And I think you can get a tan with them. Better spectrum than MH. I prefer them to the red sodium bulbs, which put out more light, but they are almost all red light. These newer type conversion bulbs are also super cheap. Not cheap to run, but cheap to buy. They also run off of older HPS ballasts or new digital HPS ballasts. I have several older switchable HPS/MH ballasts and some dedicated ones. For what I already have, they are a good upgrade.
 
These are newer type conversion bulbs though, with a wider range of spectrum with more up into the lower UV/blue wavelength. They are more like CMH in spectrum. They are blue! And I think you can get a tan with them. Better spectrum than MH. I prefer them to the red sodium bulbs, which put out more light, but they are almost all red light. These newer type conversion bulbs are also super cheap. Not cheap to run, but cheap to buy. They also run off of older HPS ballasts or new digital HPS ballasts. I have several older switchable HPS/MH ballasts and some dedicated ones. For what I already have, they are a good upgrade.
I only call them old school because I've not seen a MH specific or HPS specific ballast at the grow stores in so long!. back 12 years ago yeah. Badass that they are awesome and put out a wider spectrum than the old MH conversion lamps. that light was weird and kind of pink. if that makes any sense. hps light looks quite orange to me(when lookin at the lights from outside the grow area.
Even more awesome they are affordable!
I am fairly confident the spectrum from my hlg 650r's is also giving me a tan/light burn. my forearms are still summer colored. and the rest of me that I can see is pale. this spectrum(and obviously yours too) is like being outside on a clear summer day, at a couple thousand feet elevation.
 
Migro have a very good uva/uvb bulb. Proper led uva/uvb chips are expensive and burn out quite quick. Just a tip for anyone using good uva/uvb tech, you need a bulb that puts out both as the plants use the a and b together and you wont need a very high wattage in your tent, give some good headroom to the light even though it may only be 15-20watts this is still very strong. Be careful because I know someone who burnt all his plants. Give them small doses to begin with in the last 3-4 weeks of flower eg 15 mins at lights on and 15 mins at lights off. If they are still heathy then build it up eg 3-4 15min blast in the lights on time. The proper bulbs that give off true uva/uvb are strong so be careful.
 
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