Flowering with Cree bulbs

captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
She's growing like a monster, another 2+ inches since yesterday so that makes over 10" in 6 days. I had to tie her up and cage her just to keep her under control so I installed a double ring. Turning on the side lighting tonight and adding 24 watts of T5 HO UV for 4 hours a day. Now all I need is to order the parts for my 660 nm LED light to add to the mix.
 

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PetFlora

Well-Known Member
She's growing like a monster, another 2+ inches since yesterday so that makes over 10" in 6 days. I had to tie her up and cage her just to keep her under control so I installed a double ring. Turning on the side lighting tonight and adding 24 watts of T5 HO UV for 4 hours a day. Now all I need is to order the parts for my 660 nm LED light to add to the mix.
What hours are you running the UV? I was thinking 10-2ish. They also make them in globes
 

Rrog

Well-Known Member
I did the UV in pulses. 15 min over the course of 4-5 hours. I also start this when they're a couple weeks old. There was some data-based thought that there may be THC / CBD precursor molecules that may be triggered by UV-b in veg state. So I figure what the hell. This was in my HPS days. I used the MH HID UV-b, so maybe that's more of a liability, but I moved my lamp at least 12" from any bud. That fluoro unit the Captain is sporting looks much safer on the plant.

I also wonder about UV-a
 

captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
What hours are you running the UV? I was thinking 10-2ish. They also make them in globes
I decided to ease her into the UV so it was only one hour last night and I'll add a hour each day till I'm up to 4. I run my lights at night from 10:30 PM to 10:30 AM when I'm on 12/12 because I don't have air conditioning and the rates are lower so the UV is going to be set from 2:30 AM to 6:30 AM in the middle of the cycle. From my research the T5 HO and incandescent seemed to be the best bulbs so I went with T5 for the efficiency and bulb life plus it's not a single point source.
 

captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
I did the UV in pulses. 15 min over the course of 4-5 hours. I also start this when they're a couple weeks old. There was some data-based thought that there may be THC / CBD precursor molecules that may be triggered by UV-b in veg state. So I figure what the hell. This was in my HPS days. I used the MH HID UV-b, so maybe that's more of a liability, but I moved my lamp at least 12" from any bud. That fluoro unit the Captain is sporting looks much safer on the plant.

I also wonder about UV-a
From my reading UVB was what started me on wanting to add it for the THC/CBD effect but I found another benefit, UV will also disinfect the air and can kill mold spores. UVA seems to be the disinfecting part of the spectrum.
 

Rrog

Well-Known Member
And since I personally want to encourage a healthy microbial Phyllosphere, I keep the UV distant to allow them to do their very beneficial thing.
 

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
I decided to ease her into the UV so it was only one hour last night and I'll add a hour each day till I'm up to 4. I run my lights at night from 10:30 PM to 10:30 AM when I'm on 12/12 because I don't have air conditioning and the rates are lower so the UV is going to be set from 2:30 AM to 6:30 AM in the middle of the cycle. From my research the T5 HO and incandescent seemed to be the best bulbs so I went with T5 for the efficiency and bulb life plus it's not a single point source.
Are you 100% sure night rates are lower? I thought so, too, but turns out it's not true in the state where I live
 

captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
Are you 100% sure night rates are lower? I thought so, too, but turns out it's not true in the state where I live
Yep,I've got a smart meter so they will even know when I turn on my TV. It's .08257 a KWH during peak and .06912 a KWH off peak. If I remember right,peak is from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
 

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
Yep,I've got a smart meter so they will even know when I turn on my TV. It's .08257 a KWH during peak and .06912 a KWH off peak. If I remember right,peak is from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
I also have a Smart Meter. Do you see the hours as separate items on your statement?

so ''SMART"? no longer means good, right?
 

captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
I also have a Smart Meter. Do you see the hours as separate items on your statement?

so ''SMART"? no longer means good, right?
Yep,2 listings on my bill and the night usage is larger than the day.

Putting some clones in their first soil,14 days from cutting with 8 LSD and the 2 critical kush in the center are only 4 days from cutting so they will have to wait but they have company now because I just did a mainlining cut to 4 on a older clone and I have 2 more cuttings to join them.
 

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captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
Another 2+ inches of growth,and after 7 days it's almost 14 inches. The UV goes to 2 hours tonight so I'm hoping the UV bulb that's rated like 6500k will help to slow this freight train down. She has leaves bigger than my hand now and I don't have small hands.
 

Highocaine

Well-Known Member
I love it when leaves pass the hand measure.

edit: fuck man i am so makin this my avi


The ex-mayor here vehemently denied being forced-upon with a smart meter. He told his security to deny the electrical company access to his property.

This went on for a while, most people like him finally just accepting it and having them installed. But not him. And eventually he won, somehow. Wish I could've done that, but it almost redflags you as a grower unless you're one of those people who think wifi causes headaches and such.
 

captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
Lighting schedule update, lights on in 1 hour and I've upped it to 13/11. I'll watch the development for a couple days then move to 13.5/10.5. I've also increased the UV to 3 hours tonight. I wonder if the growth has slowed at all, 2+ inches a day can't last much longer I hope
 

Cococola36

Well-Known Member
I use far red lighting as well and see ridiculous stretch in the first week, but its slows down a lot after that. After 3 grows now (with far red supplementation not total lol) I realize it pretty much speeds up the stretch process that usually can be at a slower continuous rate of up to 3 weeks. With the same strains i have cut out up to a week to a week and a half to harvest without losing yield with the far red vs not using them with traditional 12/12 flowering. I am now a huge believer in using far red after a few grows. Next maybe i will add in the extra uv to see if that really helps.
 

captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
Well only 2 inches tonight, so she's slowing a little because the last few days have been 2.5 or more.
Thought I'd throw in a pic of her stem with a bic lighter, that's 55 days veg from seed and 8 days flower.
 

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