Blacklight during flowering?

AgentWax

Member
OK.....this probably sounds stupid, but hear me out. Ive never attempted this, but I read somewhere a few years back about using your garden variety Blacklight bulb during the dark cycles of your flowering phase? Something about how the plant responds to the UV spectrum by increasing trichome production in order to protect itself? Anyone else heard anything about this?
 

Mr.Therapy Man 2

Active Member
No, a black light is useless.I saw the funniest thread where some fucker at thc farmer started a thread on blacklights.I laughed so hard I cried after reading that shit
MTM
 

vh13

Well-Known Member
I've heard all kinds of claims, increased THC/trichome production from UV exposure (but you're better off using those UVB bulbs for reptiles or tanning beds) and that the plants will grow in complete darkness except only black light because black light energizes one chlorophyll pigment but doesn't break down the flowering hormone.

I saw one grow where a guy used black lights during lights off. He didn't have enough light for his girls during lights on. His plants looked stretched, weak and had very few calyxes. Not a very convincing grow, to be sure. I don't know why he bought black lights instead of buying more, proper lights.

I've no idea if it's any good, but I suspect you're better off focusing your energy on improving the quality of your primary light source.
 

vh13

Well-Known Member
Yeah, but there are different kinds of UV, and I don't think black lights put out the right kind to seriously stimulate THC/trich production.

Reptile lamps do though.
 

AgentWax

Member
Yeah, but there are different kinds of UV, and I don't think black lights put out the right kind to seriously stimulate THC/trich production.

Reptile lamps do though.
The reptile lamps prob put out more heat than would be worth though, right?
 

vh13

Well-Known Member
I'm not referring to the heat lamps, it's the UV-B lamps you want. And no, they're not much different from a regular CFL.
 

dropapa

Member
The big herp lamps from petsm@rt work wonders and produce UV-B light unlike CFLs while producing an equal amount of lumens
 

dropapa

Member
the heat really isn't that bad, I've used the herp lamps in my seedling/clone box for about a year now with them always on and my temps stay around 80 even with the humidity dome for clones. Furthermore the watts are about the same for a good seedling/veg CFL. here's a link to the ones I use, I have 5 of these hardwired into the ceiling of my box on regular light moguls http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752556
 
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