T5 16 Bulb Perpetual SOG UVB Coco Grow

workinit

workinit

Well-Known Member
This is my first attempt flowering using T5's. Will be flowering in a 5 x 5 tent using 2 Quantum bad boys 8 bulbs each. Bulbs are a combination of Horti Powerveg UV along with Agromax Pure Par and Pure Red. Medium is Cocotek coco. Strain is Pineapple Express clones. Oldest plants are on day 10 of 12/12 and they did get about a week of veg. The smaller ones went straight from cloner to flower and are on day 3. Nutrients will be by hand and bottom fed. First image is day 7 under just the Pure Par.

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WeedBulbs

Member
workinit

workinit

Well-Known Member
WeedBulbs said:
Can you please tell me the number of each type of bulb you are using?

I found links to:
Agromax Pure Par - http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-AgroMax-4ft-T5-Pure-Par-Bulbs
Horti Powerveg UV - http://www.eyehortilux.com/products/power-veg.aspx
Can you please help me out with a link to Agromax Pure Red?

How much UVB are you trying to achieve? Do you have a UVB meter?

Do you believe it is best to run the UVB during the full growth cycle or only after buds begin to develop?
Click to expand...
The Agromax is a pure bloom not pure red, oops. I'm currently running 8 par, 4 bloom and 4 superveg. As far as the UV goes I have no idea. Just seeing if it really does make a difference. I'm running all through bloom this time. This is all new to me so any advice from those that have experience would be welcome.
 
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WeedBulbs

Member
> This is all new to me so any advice from those that have experience would be welcome.

I am developing 10 different models of 24 watt CFL grow lights. Some of these models will have UVB... so I have been researching the use of UVB for quite some time. Simply put, the plant's reason to make THC is to be a protection mechanism against strong UVB rays... not to get peeps stoned. The more UVB, the more THC... within reason... but the other side of that coin is that UVB is detrimental to plant growth. As a horticulturist, my thoughts (without research to back it up) are:
  1. Don't use UVB until the plant starts to bud for two reasons: a) the UVB phosphors replace PAR phosphors... so you will have less usable photons and b) UVB will slow down plant growth.
  2. Gradually introduce the UVB to the grow tent when buds are forming. Turning on full strength may burn the plant much like getting a sunburn if you have been indoors smoking weed all winter. You want to work up to a UVB dose equivalent to that naturally received at high altitude near the equator.
  3. Get the UVB near the buds.. this is the part of the plant you are trying to stimulate to produce more THC.
  4. The UVB dose should likely be delivered during a limited time each day... kind of like mid-day sun... maybe three hours each day?
I don't have all the answers yet, but I will share my research as I get more... that is... if peeps in this forum are interested .
 
workinit

workinit

Well-Known Member
Absolutely interested and thank you very much for your input. Maybe I should go with two powerveg as opposed to four till later in flower? Right now I'm keeping the lights about 12 inches off the tallest buds as I was/am afraid of burning them. They to seem to be thriving! I noticed the leaves seem a bit more "waxy" since I introduced the UV.
 
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WeedBulbs

Member
I would not cut back at this point because guessing, you could have a lot more UVB to maximize your THC.
Their website suggests using only their lights for up to 19 hours a day.

You might try getting some single T5 fixtures with reflector and hang them vertically so that the light is nearer the buds. Then put them on a timer for like 3 hours a day.
 
workinit

workinit

Well-Known Member
WeedBulbs said:
I would not cut back at this point because guessing, you could have a lot more UVB to maximize your THC.
Their website suggests using only their lights for up to 19 hours a day.

You might try getting some single T5 fixtures with reflector and hang them vertically so that the light is nearer the buds. Then put them on a timer for like 3 hours a day.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty tapped out right now as those BadBoys with all the bulbs were not necessarily cheap. I was thinking that I would go with a smaller amount of UV over a longer amount of time as opposed to higher amounts and shorter time. Truth be told I'm swimming in uncharted waters with regards to both UV and T5's. I'm sure I'll make some mistakes and hopefully learn from them.
 
Oddjob

Oddjob

Well-Known Member
Like it! That's a sweet set up man. I'm an LED grower but respect other methods that growers can utilize for their grow environment.
 
W

WeedBulbs

Member
> I'm pretty tapped out right now

In a few months when my uvb grow lights are finished, I will shoot you some to test out. Can't beat free.
 
workinit

workinit

Well-Known Member
WeedBulbs said:
> I'm pretty tapped out right now

In a few months when my uvb grow lights are finished, I will shoot you some to test out. Can't beat free.
Click to expand...
No you can not beat free! What differences have you been noticing with the UV supplementation? Are potency increases real?
 
W

WeedBulbs

Member
I have not tested. Plans are to either to set up a lab in Colorado to do some testing or work with someone in Co (or other legal state) that will do the testing for me if I provide the equipment.

From what I read, the THC increase can be from 5% to those playing around...
http://medicalmarijuanagrowing.blogspot.com/
to 28% for those getting serious...
http://www.hightimes.com/read/grow-hack-how-use-uv-lamp-increase-thc
I suspect those percentages can even push higher by targeting the buds with a strong UVB dose everyday, because you got remember... the whole purpose of THC is that it is part of the plant's process to protect itself from high UVB.

And it has to be UVB, not UVA. A big part of the UV that your lamp produces is UVA... the UVA is mostly just wasted photons.
It is UVB that causes our body to tan as a response (or sun burn if you over do it.)

Fortunately, there is already a standardized method of measuring and rating the effects of UV.... it is call the UV Index...
http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/calculating-uv-index
http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index-scale
So next question is to ask is... what UV index rating do I need to grow high THC weed?
The answer is likely that you want to mimic the UV index in mountainous regions of the world where the highest THC weed is grown.
See http://www.uvawareness.com/
I think your target UV index "at the bud" should be about 11 to 14.
Next question is... how to measure it? There are some relatively cheap meters to do this...
http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Checker-Atmospheric-Light-Meter/dp/B00481APE8
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Q3KW4O

To get 11 to 14 UV index "at the bud", it is going to be "side lighting".
 
workinit

workinit

Well-Known Member
WeedBulbs said:
I have not tested. Plans are to either to set up a lab in Colorado to do some testing or work with someone in Co (or other legal state) that will do the testing for me if I provide the equipment.

From what I read, the THC increase can be from 5% to those playing around...
http://medicalmarijuanagrowing.blogspot.com/
to 28% for those getting serious...
http://www.hightimes.com/read/grow-hack-how-use-uv-lamp-increase-thc
I suspect those percentages can even push higher by targeting the buds with a strong UVB dose everyday, because you got remember... the whole purpose of THC is that it is part of the plant's process to protect itself from high UVB.

And it has to be UVB, not UVA. A big part of the UV that your lamp produces is UVA... the UVA is mostly just wasted photons.
It is UVB that causes our body to tan as a response (or sun burn if you over do it.)

Fortunately, there is already a standardized method of measuring and rating the effects of UV.... it is call the UV Index...
http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/calculating-uv-index
http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index-scale
So next question is to ask is... what UV index rating do I need to grow high THC weed?
The answer is likely that you want to mimic the UV index in mountainous regions of the world where the highest THC weed is grown.
See http://www.uvawareness.com/
I think your target UV index "at the bud" should be about 11 to 14.
Next question is... how to measure it? There are some relatively cheap meters to do this...
http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Checker-Atmospheric-Light-Meter/dp/B00481APE8
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Q3KW4O

To get 11 to 14 UV index "at the bud", it is going to be "side lighting".
Click to expand...
I have maybe 10 grows under my belt and my last grow I would consider MY best. Potency was good I suppose but I have yet to grow or buy indoor weed that compares potency wise to anything done locally outdoors. Indoor is pretty but IMHO does not compare to good genetics done outdoor with regards to potency. I may get railed for saying this but I would trade anything I have smoked in the last 20 years for that brown seedy Colombian I used to get as a kid(I'm 50). One J between two people would knock your head off for a good three hours. Many times I wouldn't answer the door for fear of having to sound remotely coherent to a stranger! Is it possible that UV was what made it so potent?
 
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workinit

workinit

Well-Known Member
I haven't talked about nutrients but I think I need to give a plug to blue plant. They are extremely clean. I switched from Canna and the difference is stark. With the Canna stuff there was a white film on everything they came into contact. I feed right around 400 ppm(water comes out of the tap around 125ppm). I use equal parts cal magic, BP A and BPB. Zero residue and great results!image.jpgimage.jpg
 
W

WeedBulbs

Member
workinit said:
Is it possible that UV was what made it so potent?
Click to expand...
Absolutely, the mountains of Columbia is where they grow weed... and it is in these tropical mountains that the UV Index is highest.

One key to reproducing Columbian gold is getting 11 to 14 UV index "at the bud"... maybe higher... for a part of each day.

My goal is to make it possible for the average guy to make "the really good stuff" fast and cheap in the closet... with minimal startup costs.
 
workinit

workinit

Well-Known Member
WeedBulbs said:
Absolutely, the mountains of Columbia is where they grow weed... and it is in these tropical mountains that the UV Index is highest.

One key to reproducing Columbian gold is getting 11 to 14 UV index "at the bud"... maybe higher... for a part of each day.

My goal is to make it possible for the average guy to make "the really good stuff" fast and cheap in the closet... with minimal startup costs.
Click to expand...
Which UVB bulbs are "the best"? I can drop the lights within a couple inches of the tops for a few hours a day.
 
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W

WeedBulbs

Member
workinit said:
Which UVB bulbs are "the best"? I can drop the lights within a couple inches of the tops for a few hours a day.
Click to expand...
In a few months, mine will be the best... ha. Well, that does not do much for you now.

The light you have, Horti Powerveg UV, is the only UV lamp that I have seen so far that is marketed as a grow light. There are some bulbs that are marketed for terrariums... turns out lizards need UVB to produce vitamin D3 just as humans do.

The first step is to get yourself a UV Index meter. This way you don't have to guess like a blind man that can't see UVB. Then you can adjust you lamps accordingly.
 
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