My son came over yesterday and noticed I had mold growing on a few of my cuttings. I told him I was trying to figure out the best way to get rid of it. He surprised me when he said I should use black light. I did a tiny bit of research and have found that if the light is within a few inches and for a 10 or more seconds, it will kill mold. I asked him about ordinary full spectrum lights and he said that the glass blocks most of the UV rays, which is what disinfects.

So, has anyone tried black lights on figs? I have a urine-finder black light but I haven't tried it yet. It's not often that I even understand him when he speaks. I do have to brag a little as he's hopefully just a semester away from getting his PhD.:)

If I had a black light, I'd try to prove him right!  OMG!  That rhymes! 

Suzi (many cuttings suffering from mold)

Typical black lights are "longwave" UV -- that's good for making psychedelic posters glow in the dark, but probably not very useful for killing mold.  The UV lights that are typically used for sterilization are "shortwave" UV.   Careful, though...the same high-energy waves that wreak havoc with mold/bacteria DNA to kill them can also cause nasty burns and damage eyesight in humans!!!!
Here's a quick read:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_germicidal_irradiation
Jim

Is that the same light in my pond filter?

UV light from a sterilization bulb will burn the plant and your eyes.

Never heard of that with black light but worth a try.

Hmm back in the 70s no wonder i never grew mold cause..........

UV lights such as those in pond filters are used to kill single celled organisms such as algae and yes mold would be included.
As mentioned by the others it is extremely dangerous and can blind a person for life in seconds. It is more powerful than a welding spark.

I would not ever consider something like this for my or my family's safety.

Too bad a regular black light won't work. I'm glad I asked the "experts" here.

and here i was going to drag out my pink floyd collection... sigh...