Supplemental uv?

Appalachianhills

Well-Known Member
What does everyone think about adding uv? I'm have 2x600 in a 4'x5.5x 7 purpose built room. I'm rolling around the idea of adding 3 4't5 fixtures with some reptile bulbs in a |0|0| configuration. What kind of light schedule should I run them and at what point of flower do you actually start running them?
 

Chunky Stool

Well-Known Member
There are a few good threads about UV. If you've got a grow space larger than 5X5, T5 bulbs make a lot of sense. Another option is bare bulb MH or CMH. HPS doesn't provide UV and neither do most LEDs.
For smaller spaces, lizard lights work well.
 

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member
The research I read said leave the light on 2-3 hours each side of noon, simulating peak sunlight uv levels. So, in a 12 hour on cycle, hours 5-8 or 4-9 of your cycle. 4-6 hours centered in your cycle.
 

luv2grow

Well-Known Member
depends on the strain mostly. general rule though for me is around week 3-4. The main point with uv is to push as much frost as we can. It's the plants way of shielding itself from the Uv rays. That should give you a good idea when to start it on your girls
 

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member
depends on the strain mostly. general rule though for me is around week 3-4. The main point with uv is to push as much frost as we can. It's the plants way of shielding itself from the Uv rays. That should give you a good idea when to start it on your girls
My question is...Is it going to hurt anything to use uv from bloom week 1. I have a clone chamber, veg chamber, and bloom chamber. 4 Scrog plants, 2 go into bloom every 4 weeks. Can't really start uv week 4.
 

luv2grow

Well-Known Member
As long as you have healthy plants I'd have to say you should be fine. It's just added stress. Outdoor grows work just fine with Uv all season.
 

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member
Right, that's what I figured. I'm not doing anything drastic. I thought about tube flouro's but I'm just doing some Reptisun's in Bayco Brooder Reflectors. Can't remember where I learned about this...Either Ed Rosenthal's book, but maybe Read Spear's.
 

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member
I guess I'm kind of using each UV as a spot light with the Bayco's. I could just run 2 pairs separate timers. The others might catch a little residual until I get to week 3 or 4, then start increasing the from dead center midday to covering the whole 4-6 hour time span. I heard the same warnings. Don't work in there with them on. This may be a good thing. Keeping me from being in there all the time. A good window of maintenance in the start of the photoperiod and at the end.
 
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