First Harvest With Green Planet Nutrients

REPTISUN 10.0 UVB REVIEW – CANNABIS LIGHTING

I want to do a Reptisun 10.0 UVB review for supplemental cannabis lighting. I will be using it along side my HLG 550 during the last 2 weeks of flower.

UVB is supposed to enhance trichome production and also raise THC levels. It needs to be added because it is not available with regular lighting used to grow weed. Metal halide has some but the glass does not allow it through.

UV light is used in hospitals to keep things sterile and it can help control mold in the grow room too. Imagine no more powdery mildew or bud rot! You can use UVB bulbs throughout the entire flower cycle but for shorter exposure times. It is reported to produce shorter stockier plants , improve bud density and produce healthier greener plants.

Most reptile bulbs provide UVA light which is helpful for plant growth but have very low levels of UVB light which is what boosts trichomes and THC levels.

Our atmosphere filters out most of this spectrum  but UVB light is at higher levels as altitude increases which may explain why most premier growing areas are at higher altitudes.

Because most of us are growing indoors our plants do not get the UV light the sun provides so we need to add it with UV bulbs. This may explain partly why plants tend to grow better outdoors.

Solacure has been making UVB bulbs for years and I have heard they make the best. But before I spent a lot of money on bulbs I wanted to test them out. The Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb does not make as much UVB as the Solacure bulbs but it produces more than anything else in the reptile bulb class. The Solacure bulbs would toast your lizard so it seemed if the Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulbs worked the more powerful ones would be worth the investment. Here is my test video:

UVB TEST WITH REPTISUN 10.0 UVB BULB

Here are some pictures taken on day 59 of my current grow. There has definitely been a change in these plants even with a weaker UVB bulb and I think I will be using the more expensive bulbs in the future.

The fade on these girls has accelerated. After a few days some fans are turning crispy. Trichome production seems better and some plants seem to be producing more white hairs which is probably a reaction to the light. Plants in the pics are mostly Gelato #33 and some Grim Bastard OG

Explaining UV and Cannabis

Here is part of an article explaining UV for cannabis lighting:

The ultraviolet spectrum is broken into three bands. They are actually “colors”, we just can’t see them. Like colors, there is a range within each color. This is how “pink” and “burgundy” are both types of red, just different parts of the red spectrum. The same for ultraviolet. If you look at a rainbow, you see the colors go from deep red (wavelength of 700nm) all the way to violet (400nm). The next color is UVA (320nm-400nm), then UVB (280nm-320nm) and finally UVC (10nm-280nm or 100nm-280nm, depending on who you ask). UVC is used for water purification and such because it kills organisms. It can also give you a flash burn in a few seconds, so fortunately, the atmosphere filters out almost all of it. When a plant is outside, they get a fair amount of UVA and UVB, typically in a ratio that is around 5% UVB and 95% UVA. They have evolved over millenia to adapt to this and survive. In the case of cannabis, the plant developed THC to protect the next generation. The more UV it is exposed to (to a point), the more THC it will produce. http://www.solacure.com/exuvandca.html

ReptiSun 10.0 UVB Review

So here’s my take. The Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulb does definitely have an effect on cannabis plants. I dont test so I can not say if  UVB raises THC levels. I can say that I see more trichomes or at least more developed ones. I definitely see the effect of the light on the leaves. In fact I will probably be harvesting a few days earlier.

I consider buying these bulbs a good investment and that the test proved successful. I have seen enough that I plan on buying the Solacure UVB bulbs in the future. I would recommend either product but if you are not sure or dont have a lot to spend try the Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulbs.

A lot of reviews on UVB light for weed are mixed. Some say it works, some say it doesn’t. Based on what I am seeing I feel the failure to see results is from lights without enough UVB to make a difference. If I am seeing results now I can hardly wait to see what the Solacure bulbs can do.

If you are looking for a high quality white LED that really can replace a 1000w HPS then you want the HLG 550 V2.

I was running all COBs and replaced them with a 550 and as good as Cree COBs are, there is just no comparison.

New Millenium Nutrients Review

I have been using New Millenium Nutrients on my latest grow and have been very impressed with their performance. They are really different from most other nutes I have used, and believe me, I have used a lot of other nutrient lines. So with that said I want to do a New Millenium Nutrients Review for you.

Before I do I want to share an audio file from The Dude Grows Show with the New Millenium story and why it’s so different.

How I Found Out About New Millenium Nutrients

New Millenium is made in Colorado specifically for growing weed. They are not well known nationally at this point, but many highly experienced large growers are using them and giving them rave reviews. There isn’t much info on the internet about them either. It’s definitely time more growers found out about them though.

I was introduced to their Winter Frost and given a sample from a buddy at my local hydro store. The store doesn’t even carry the line at this point. Long story short the product did an amazing job. Winter Frost is a finisher. It brings out frost and color and does it quickly. I was so impressed by a product that actually works as advertised that I decided to try the rest of the line.

The beauty of New Millenium is you can use the whole line or just the additives with your regular nutrients. They have 3 standout additives. Winter Frost is their finisher. Lightning Start is for veg and it brings those lower branches up. Then there is Decision. It is a game changer. It stops stretch and promotes flower initiation. I will go into more details on each product and also more info on the line itself.

My Rant About Nutes: Dont Judge A Book(Nute) By Its Cover(Label)

I feel it is really important to stress this. Have you heard the expression “don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well the same is true for cannabis nutrients. You can’t judge their effectiveness by reading the label. Why? Because manufacturers are only required to list the NPK in their formulas.

Agrium,CF Industries Holdings,Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan,The Mosaic Company and Yara International are the top 5 fertilizer companies globally and every cannabis nutrient gets their basic nutrients from one or more of them so there is no secret ingredients here. There may be different grades based on purity but that’s about it.

It is how these basic components are assembled, the chelation process and additives that make one nutrient line different and more or less effective than another. None of this needs to be reported on the label. Most nutrient companies want to guard against their formulas being copied or stolen so they generally wont list all the ingredients in the bottle.

I am so tired of ignorant growers on the various forums bashing a product based on the label itself. A prime example is New Millenium Winter Frost.

The label says the NPK ratio is 0.2 – 2.2 – 2.5 so you look at that and the ingredients and what you see is this:

Guaranteed Analysis

Total Nitrogen (N)……………………….0.2%
0.2% Nitrate Nitrogen
Available Phosphate (P2O5)……………2.2%
Soluble Potash (K2O)……………………2.3%

Derived from:
Potassium Nitrate, Monopotassium Phosphate

So not much in there I guess. Lets bash it as expensive water and make our own for pennies with Potassium Nitrate and Monopotassium Phosphate. You all have seen this kind of misguided advice on the forums I am sure. Believe me, there is a lot more going on than meets the eye and is on the label.

The chemist behind New Millenium developed GH’s 3 part and has over 30 years experience formulating cannabis nutes. Do you think he might know something? Dont you think he would want to protect his research and intellectual property from being stolen?

The label does not tell the true story. That’s the long winded point I am trying to make. If you try this product you would be amazed at how well and how fast it brings on the fade and kicks plants into finishing. Got a mixed strain grow and want it all to finish and be ready to flush at the same time? New Millenium Winter Frost will do that for you. But your homemade bottle of potassium nitrate and monopotassium phosphate wont do shit. So sometimes you get what you pay for.

What Is The New Millenium Nutrient Line?

Maybe it’s just me, but when I went to the New Millenium website for more information the first time I was confused. I did not really feel like the site was set up in a way where I could easily understand how to use their nutes. It really was a very simple and easy system to use once I got my head wrapped around it. So in case you are like me I will simplify it a bit.

Grow Talk With Neil & Jerin From New Millenium Nutrients

So here’s an interview with  Neil Watson the chemist behind New Millenium nutrients I found from The Dude Grows Show.  It’s long but worth watching and is about a whole lot more than New Millenium. The guy has an Ag degree and drops some really good knowledge about growing, microbes, fulvics and more.

New Millennium Nutrients Feeding Chart

Before I talk at all about the individual nutes, I think it would be a good idea to show the New Millennium Nutrients Feed Chart. I do follow the chart but I use 4/12 ratio for my grow. I have never needed to go to a 5/15 mix. There may be some heavy feeding strains that would benefit from this but I haven’t run across any. This is especially true if you are using Ruby Ful their fulvic acid supplement because it increases nutrient availability.

So you can run lower PPMs with New Millenium. When I mix at 4/12 I come out at  500 ppm and 5.5 pH. My tap water is only 30 ppm but runs about 8 to 9 pH. So some may need to add some PH UP. I generally add 1-2 ml of CaliMagic and cut it after a few weeks. I have not really had any cal mag issues at all even with OGs.

The Base Nutes

New Millenium is basically a 2 part system with some additives. Equinox is your part A and part B is a season. Generally Equinox is used in a 1 to 4 or 1 to 5 ratio with part B. So you might mix 4 ml Equinox with 12 ml of Autumn Gold for example.

Spring Green, Summer Shift and Autumn Gold. Spring Green is for seedlings or young clones. Summer Shift is for larger plants through veg and Autumn Gold is for flowering.

To be honest I haven’t used Spring Green or Summer Shift. I don’t really think Spring Green is needed and I still have a bunch of Veg + Bloom that I am using in veg.

The Additives

Ruby Ful is a fulvic acid supplement and it is recommended to use it with all the bottles in the line so in a way it is almost a base nutrient. Fulvic acid is a supercharged form of humic acid and plays a key role in making nutrients more available. It is a much smaller molecule than humic acid which makes it much easier for it to be taken up by the roots. It also is red unlike black humates made from leonardite.

Winter Frost could be considered a season but it is listed as an add on. Winter Frost is used 7 to 10 days before flush. It was the product that got me started using New Millenium in the first place. It is a bulking and finishing agent that brings out oils and terpines and rapidly begins the fade.

I don’t know whats in new millennium winter frost but there definitely is a lot more than what is on the labeled N: 0.2% | P: 2.2% | K: 2.3%. At 10 ml a gallon the ppms are about 500 which I think is higher than what is on the label would provide. Somehow it lets plants know that winter is coming and they need to finish up. It can help multiple strains finish more uniformly for easier harvest. It is not a flushing agent and does not replace the need to flush.

PK Apatite is a bloom booster that increases bud size and oil production during bloom. It also encourages plants to eat more especially phosphorus and potassium which leads to increased root development and increased bud size and development.

 New Millenium Lightning Start

I have just begun using this product in my veg closet. It is potent so use it sparingly according to directions. It is meant only to be used in veg. From the New Millenium website:

A very exclusive type of seaweed along with a collage of micro and macro elements makes this truly a one of a kind product. A major abundance of cytokinins, auxins, and gibberellins allow for increased cellular division, feeder root stimulation, internodal stacking, and natural potassium supplementation.

Plants respond very well to this kelp/hormone formula and branch well. It really helps with training especially for strains that stretch a lot and branch sparingly.

 New Millenium Decision

This product is a game changer. That may sound like hype or BS but it really is true. This stuff is alchemy in a bottle! Decision is only used for a day or two right when you transition from veg to flower. It is potent so you need to keep an eye on your plants when you use it. For best results use it with Ruby Ful.

Decision will stop stretch and start flower initiation. My Triangle Kush cross would never have fit in my grow closet without it and I had flowers showing on day 6 of 12/12, the earliest I ever had them by at least a week.

If you want your plants to stretch don’t use it. If you are in coco or promix you can probably use it 2 or 3 days but in hydroton or rockwool it can act very fast, often in 24-48 hours so if your plants start to yellow you need to resume regular feeding.

New Millenium Nutrients Review Final Thoughts

Should you use New Millennium Nutrients? I believe New Millennium is definitely worth a try. If you are happy with your current nutrients I would recommend doing a side by side if possible. I don’t think it is ever a good idea to make a radical change without testing first.

But if your current line is leaving you unhappy with the results you are getting it may be time for a change and I think you will be very happy with the results you get from New Millennium Nutrients. You can buy individual bottles but you may save money with a New Millennium Pep Pack or 1 quart combo pack.

You will use more of the seasons than some of the other nutrients but this pack will get you through a full grow from clone or seed up till flower. New Millenium ppms can be run lower than most other nutrient lines. Most growers never go above 750-800 ppm on a .5 scale. Part of this is due to the Ruby Ful enhancing availability and part is due to the superior chelation this product line has.

If you are happy with your current nutrient line you can use Ruby Ful, Lightning Start, Decision and Winter Frost with your current line.