So I saw some video the other day about cannabis grown with uvb lights and supposedly these type of light helps make your bud more potent and a stronger high. Has anyone done an experiment growing the same strain 1 under regular mh/hps no uvb and the other with all three? Is the bud really that more potent? If so please let me know which type of uvb to buy and where I could find it
This video? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPcpt3Be28o]YouTube - THC, UVB and Me[/ame] Try repti-glo or repti-sun 26w CFL UVB's. This is what most people use. I am looking for information on how much UV to use in contrast to total wattage (%-wise).
Hi, I've used UVB bulbs for about 5 years in my setup. Make sure you're aware of the dangers of UV radiation exposure before you jump into UVB's... You should stay out of your grow during your UVB cycle as it's not good to get any UVB exposure. With mild exposure it can cause minor sunburn discomfort. Prolonged exposure can cause skin cancer. Any exposure to your eyes is harmful and prolonged exposure can cause blindness! Having said all that... UVB can make a significant difference in the dankness of your bud. Is it necessary for growing great bud? No but it does help imho. It simply stresses your girls into doing more glandular production which is the marijuana plant's "sunscreen." I first started looking into UVB in 2004 and at the time I found a Dutch study that cited a specific Philips medical UVB T12 fluoro tube that had been used to augment HID lighting on flowering marijuana. The study showed significant increases in the production of trichomes and THC content. After searching the internet I found medical bulb suppliers. Ordering one of these turned out not to be as easy as calling it in. These bulbs are sold with a prescription for UVB skin therapy for people with psoriasis. They have to be used for either medical use with prescription or for industrial use. I had to fax them a waiver stating that no humans or animals would be exposed to the lamps and they were for industrial use and they sold them to me. I grow culinary herbs for local restaurants so I was able to use my creds with my business to make the purchase. The essential oils in rosemary, thyme and basil also increase slightly when using UVB's... Rosemary gets much stickier... Attached is a pic of the warning that came with my bulb. I put them into my bloom closet, slowly starting out at 20 minutes per day and added 20 minutes every few days until I got up to 2 hours of exposure and held it there. It's going to depend on the strength of bulb you get. And maybe longer exposure to lower levels is better? Using UVB's you'll notice a bit of a "weathering" effect on the plant with some slight discoloration to leaves. Within days there is a definite increase in trich production. At that time I had a 600w Hortilux HPS along with the same 6-lamp T5 and my new harvest was noticably more dank than buds of the same strain and bloom closet conditions minus the UVB I had for comparison from past shows. imho, UVB is for the experienced grower who has all his ducks already in a row and would like to experiment with an esoteric lighting approach. If you don't respect UVB and it's dangers it will hurt you. Use protective eyewear and cover your skin with long sleeves and gloves if you have to enter your garden during the UVB cycle. Better yet set it up so you can shut it down from outside your growroom before you go in. I have my UVB mounted at an angle shining into my closet from the side where the door is so I would have to climb into my closet to get exposed. Be careful and good luck. Peace!