There has been a lot of misconception about the importance of UV light for plants. Some growers even don’t have any clue about UV light importance for plant growth. In this article, we will be explaining the importance of UV light in plants, along with the superlative ways to feature it in your grow room.
Before we come to the benefits of UV light in horticulture, let’s find out first what is UV light?
UV light or Ultraviolet is a kind of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength falls in the range between visible light and X-rays. UV light wavelength range from 10nm to 400nm. We all know that UV radiation is present in sunlight and is generally divided into 3 categories, if technically speaking there is also a fourth type of UV light called Extreme UV or sometimes, we called vacuum UV.
UVA: Ultraviolet light A is the light with wavelength range from 315nm to 400nm. It is also called near UV Light. This type of light is less harmful and has some prominent benefits of adding to your grow room.
UVB: Ultraviolet light B also known as middle UV is a type of light with wavelength from 280nm to 315nm. Exposure to this type of light increases the jeopardy of DNA and other cellular damage in the living organisms such as plants, creatures and bacteria.
UVC: Ultraviolet light C often know as far UV light with wavelength from 180nm to 280nm.
Vacuum UV: is a type of radiation with wavelength from 10nm to 180nm.
Now the most important question in everyone’s mind – How does UV light affects plants? Which type of UV light is good for plants?
As we already discussed above the types of UV and their wavelengths, clearly UVA is less harmful than both UVB & UVC. Below are some notable benefits of adding right UV light to your grow room:
1.Faster Germination:
UV light can also encourage faster germination as the seeds start to sprout. They strengthen plants and prepare them for higher light intensity.
2. Improves Flower Quality:
Several studies have shown that UVA and UVB rays can increase the production of terpenes and flavonoids in plants.
In one study, Gardner planted tomatoes in greenhouses with UV-free light. They notice that the tomatoes grow well, but the taste leaves a lot of desire. So, he cultures another batch with added UV radiation and found that the taste and aroma improve significantly. By adding UV light to your grow room not only enhance the taste but also aroma of your flowers.
To go a step further, consider the fact that a study found that flowers grown without UV rays lost up to 6 main terpenes! And as we are starting to realize, terpenes affect how you feel about color, as well as taste and smell.
Other studies have shown that ultraviolet light can increase resins and oils in plants grown specifically for this purpose which means your flower will be stronger and as a commercial producer you can get a higher price.
The other amazing benefit of adding UV light to increase the root mass of your plants and the branching of vegetables with less stretch – resulting in tighter internodes and more plant weight.
3. Disease and Stress Resistance:
In addition, gardener notice an increased resistance to strain and disease when adding UVA and UVB lights to grow room.
Plants can produce up to 15 different protective proteins with different variants as soon as they are exposed to UV light.
UV light can kill harmful microorganisms, especially if their wavelengths are less than 300 nm. Additionally, UV can increase the resistance of your plants to bacteria, insects, and fungi. If you grow the plants indoors without using UV light, most likely you will lose all of these benefits.
When should we give UV light to plants?
There is talk of when the use of UV light is really effective. Some says you shouldn’t use it during vegetative stage as it doesn’t add much and is just a waste of money. But I believe if you don’t use the UV light in veg stage, how can be your plant be capable of producing a prolific yield?
For this reason, we recommend using UV lighting from beginning to end (full cycle if possible) – from seed to harvest. By providing UV rays on your plants during propagation and early stage of Veg, they will develop thicker layer, faster metabolism, and become stronger and healthier.
There is no doubt that all this adds up to the crop, which can get heavier and more powerful. Instead of adding high doses of UV light, we recommend using low doses of UV light throughout the cycle which means it’s not only safer but more effective.
As you can see, there are many benefits of using UV light when growing your plants, but however, there is a possibility that UV light could be harmful to your plants as well. As long as you use the right UV light, you don’t have to worry about damaging your plants. Always make sure you buy the right LED lights that are specifically designed for growing plants.
PMHydro carries a wide range of UV spectrum LED Grow Lights at the best prices. If you prefer to add some UV light to your grow then Ozistar LED Grow lights are the best option in both quality and price.
