I have been turning on my UV bulbs during the later half of the flowering process. I leave them on for 3 hours right in the middle of the 12 hour light cycle. But as mentioned by I_Grow_Skunk other growers sometimes add them at the end of the days light cycle. I’m not really sure which is better I simply went off of others recommendations when I set them up. It’s supposed to increase terpene production in theory.
It raises leaf temperatures to allow for better transpiration for one. I’ve noticed that LED’s tend to bring out foxtail traits more so than HID or the sun…not from experience but from digging around. I think what happens is with LED there is no IR light to speak of…which means leaf temps are lower, and in order to bring them up to optimal temps you have to run the tent (or room) a lot hotter, like temps in the 80s (26-29c for the Canadians). I also have a strong belief that these LED’s are not producing the same quality that HID’s always have. Again, only speaking from experience smoking, not growing myself.
I agree with a lot that you are saying here. I have a really high end LED board its the HLG Scorpion Diablo board and I get rock hard flowers with it. Great bag appeal and quality however one thing that is really annoying is the temperature issue. During the winter even in a warm climate like CA my garage gets rather chilly it dips down into the 50s and with an LED board the plants really struggle with these chillier temps. In the summer when the garage is in the 80s and even 90s the plants actually thrive under the LED. I really don't want to need to heat my whole dam garage in the winter just to heat a 4x4 in the corner. Sometimes I throw my electric space heater over there but it really is a pain and plus the electric heaters drain a ton of electricity. Im actually thinking about getting a used HID perhaps a 1000w system. That way in the winter I run the HID in the garage to help warm up that tent. Then in the Summer I switch lights and run the LED board cuz the temps are ideal for it. Switching between these two light systems during the different season will likely be the best bet for overall plant health IMO.
Yeah I know my problem is always that my tent is jam packed full of plants and I have little space inside for even a small space heater. I see others on the grow forums and they will have like 3 or 4 little plants in a big tent with all this extra space inside. For whatever reason I just cant practice self restrain! Every time I do a grow my tent ends up looking like this...
That's a good problem to have. Nice chunky buds!Yeah I know my problem is always that my tent is jam packed full of plants and I have little space inside for even a small space heater. I see others on the grow forums and they will have like 3 or 4 little plants in a big tent with all this extra space inside. For whatever reason I just cant practice self restrain! Every time I do a grow my tent ends up looking like this...
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Yes, I've read that UV can possibly keep bugs and bacteria in check too.
Got it. Yeah given where we're at around UV knowledge, I'll probably run it for a few hours a day in the 2nd half of flowering, maybe ease it in a little more each day first.
I was referring to UV not IR. P.S. ANyone have a link to a good Infrared Panel to combine with LED to rasie Leaf Surface Temperature. P.S> Adding a CMH is probably the best move and diming down LED if necessary...
Those are strong statements to make off of smoking only.........not that you're wrong, it's just tough to say. The first being that LEDs require temps in the 80s, that's pretty hot for any indoor environment (of course, big difference between 80 and 89, whether there'sa direct fan...), I always found the best growth/happiest plants in the low to mid 70s, and a little lower humidity than most others think (of course, there are the more tropical/hotter climate varieties). But I don't know if LEDs require higher temps, I'd like to see more about that, and more info around IR.
That's interesting. This is all around "learn one thing, 2 more things pop up" ;).......so probably a dumb question, but UV alone doesn't affect the dark cycle...? I feel like I should already know this.......
That's what I went with, I got a Scorpion Diablo, but I also got a Scorpion RSpec. My closet is 6' x 12', so that's a lot of light, more reds for flowering. As you know, we can dial them down early and work up to 100%, but now you really got me thinking about the temp issue. Until now I've been psyched about the fact that the basement stays so cool. We live up north, and even in the heat of July and August, even when it gets above 90f out, the basement never gets above 68f. It's like free air conditioning down there. And I have a dehumidifier. The grow closet is in the boiler room section of the basement. So most of the basement is like a downstairs living room, the entertainment system is down there, it's a great hang out area, and we keep it on the cold side through the winter too (it settles around 57f when I don't put the heat on a little). The boiler room is adjacent to it, and that's where the large closet is. Then it's upstairs to the garage. So I've been payched about this closet, tucked away in a chilly basement area. When I used a Halide years ago in an NYC brick building apartment closet, it was always about getting the temp as low as possible. I ran the A/C in April-May and October when most people didn't, and I always found the plants did the best at the lowest temps and himidity. 75f was better than 80f, but 70f was even better, and they loved 67f and dry.........
Yes you are in basically the same exact camp that I was in. In the sense that everything that I was thinking prior to buying my new LED was always cool cool cool. My mind was stuck in the reality that cooler temps are better for the plants. This is totally true for HIDs and even outdoor or greenhouse because of the more full light spectrum. However I have found out through trial and error that the cool temps do NOT work that great for the LEDs. And that HLG Diablo board is very efficient it puts out an incredible amount of light but barely any heat at all. So this means you really cant depend on the light itself to help keep your space warm. My best flowering runs with my new board have been in the middle of the summer. Don't get me wrong you can still grow with the LEDs in cooler temps but what I noticed is the vigor and speed of growth is effected. It's basically cut in half the veg takes longer they tend to just creep along whereas during the hot time of the year they take off like a rocket. This is what I have noticed personally but its possible there are other factors at play here as well. Im still learning myself.
Yeah, I'm certainly gonna find out soon. I'm running through my seeds right now, plotting strategy, ready to plant......I've never done the paper towel thing, it scares me a little. Easy to pop, but we've always learned that sprouts are really delicate, don't like to be handled, moved.......i popped a few from the 300++ seeds I made this summer, but when it comes to the 10 Panama Red, or the Thais, or DJ Short stuff.......I can't just experiment and have a high failure rate. I gotta get it right.
If you mean the statements about leaf temps and such, no, those are facts of the plant and how it lives…as far as quality though, those statements can ONLY be made by smoking. Quality is not apparent in a photo, you can still have harsh flavorless bud that looks amazing.
Yeah, today's Delonghi space heaters are even better. This one was under $75 and will easily get any closet warm.....
I guess ot depends on from what temp......to what temp.....
