UV and IR - vs - no UV and IR

[Clubs]

So what's the crack with all this UV and IR usage then? 

 

Reading through dozens of articles, and if I understand correctly, both UV and IR are best applied at very specific times and not generally at the same time either.

What I can't find an answer to, is why the vast majority of LED lights on the market include IR, (or UV) when there's no way to control them, just dim them with your other diodes.

Are you better off buying a well-built fixture and adding supplemental IR and UV or will the basic fixture without IR or UV yield damn good results still?

 

Hope that makes sense 

[desertshaman]

I'm also interested in this mate and have invested in a uvb reptile fixture which I'll add in soon as I've just entered week 5 of flower

Shane at migro recommends one hour twice during each light interval iirc

Other sources suggest introducing it gradually and some say to use it throughout flower

 

I think you'll do fine without ir and uv as long as your leaf surface temps are good ( ideally 28c with led) but uvb is shown to increase the terpenes significantly... Don't think it affects yield much

I'm not an  experienced grower  and certainly not with LEDs ( on my second run with the par465 pro) so hope others can chime in with their experience

 

Cheers

DS

[Slippy One]

From what I've learned, the reds are great for flowering, not so great for keeping mums etc. If you just pop seeds and flower them, def go for the red LED's. Stick with non red diodes for the nursery. 

[MidgeSmith]

I accidentally ordered lights without UV or Far Red, but including a few red / IR leds in the mix, but then I won a competition - on here no less - and won two strips, one far red and one UV.

 

I use the UV for 1 hour 4 times a day during lights on and the far red for 30 minutes each day, 25 minutes before lights off and 5 minutes after.

 

I can't remember how I decided on those figures and my choice of seeds has varied so much over the last 4 grows that I couldn't say I know for sure if those strips have improved my harvests much. They certainly haven't diminished anything and each time my grows get a bit healthier

Edited December 3, 2023 by MidgeSmith

[Norbinyo]

https://youtu.be/amjeaUDWWwM?si=K-sklx9AvvhKZ_H7

[Military Grade]

3 hours ago, Clubs said:

Are you better off buying a well-built fixture and adding supplemental IR and UV or will the basic fixture without IR or UV yield damn good results still?

The reason the sun and older bulbs bring out different expressions compared to LED without IR or UV is because they have IR and UV, this is a well documented science.

 

A LED fitting without them will yield great still, but a grow with added UV and IR with give different expressions, and UV will produce more Terpenes and also Terpenes that can't be created without UV.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Military Grade

[Clubs]

Anyone got any recommendations for a far red fixture or fixtures for a 60 x 120?

The light I'm looking at seems superb for the space/energy usage I'm wanting but it's lacking far red and uv. I've seen the Ionbeam U2 UV bars and they're about right but I really don't seem to be able to find the far reds.

[Military Grade]

I just remember i bought a AC Infinity UV Ionbeam U4 kit and i need to set it up soon as i recently flipped to flower.

[Hazeytones]

@Clubs I'm pretty sure grow the jungle do a deep red/far red strip and a uv strip, I have no idea how good they are but Adam at diyled used to sell them so maybe someone has a bit of experience with them.