Infra Red for putting plants to sleep?

I am a little surprised that I can't find much on here using the search box to read about other peoples experience with using Infra Red light to put plants to sleep. It seemed like for a short time it was a hot topic and then died off. Some people swear it works as the claims state so I added 12 Cree 730nm to my Cob fixture. Reds come on 10 minutes before lights out and stay on for 10 minutes after the lights go off.

So far after a month I have yet to notice any difference in the plants. Leaves don't droop at all at night like they are going to sleep or look like they 'wake up' when the lights come on for the day... the leaves just look like they always do, almost straight out and praying no matter what time of day or night it is.

So, is there any new information about IR light that maybe I missed? Did I miss the memo that showed scientifically that it was just bunk? Or does it actually work and it just isn't as visual as I was imaging the effects to be.

After nearly a complete grow with using 730nm LEDs for 20 minutes a day (10 minutes before lights off/10 after) I can say I didn't notice a single thing. Flower times were not any shorter, plants didn't appear to go to sleep... I just don't see it. I have been trying pick peoples brains (like Growmau5) but no one seems to have any real data showing if there is any effect with using far red light. Seems people want to believe in it, just can't prove there is anything to it. I am now thinking I went the wrong direction, should have added UV instead, would have been more of a benefit.

I've never heard anything about using IR on plants and I've read thousands of hours worth of pot related stuff and still do.

UV light may or may not increase trichome or resin production but there's always lots of debate about that so I wouldn't bother. I grow pot that kicks my ass with one good hit so if it got any better it might put me in a coma.

I use far red at the end of my light cycle, I only grow from clones and I honestly think it knocks about 3-5 days off my finish time. Just my opinion and I have never done a side by side.

Emerson effect is a proven benefit, jury still out on the flowering reduction.

Run those 730 throughout the day. 20 mins a day isn't going to be significant.

Raging Stalk said:

Emerson effect is a proven benefit, jury still out on the flowering reduction.

Run those 730 throughout the day. 20 mins a day isn't going to be significant.

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I wonder why most of the people that talk about using far red state to only use it at the end of the light schedule and say to not run them all day long as it is counter to what the main lights are doing. I don't want to put my plants to sleep as soon as the main lights come on, which is what the red light it supposed to be doing to the plants. Then again, MH have a ton of far red light all day long without issues, so maybe it is just pointless to run them with main lights as the main lights over power what the red light is trying to do, making it just a waste of electricity to run when the main lights are on.

"Interruption of the dark period with red light will prevent flowering because it converts Pr into Pfr. Pr levels need to hit a critical level in order to initiate flowering (photoperiod dependent flowering).

At lights out, the Pfr converts spontaneously back to Pr over the course of about two hours.

Far red light converts Pfr back to Pr, so a pulse of far red will eliminate that two hour period of spontaneous conversion, shortening the dark period by two hours and allowing two extra hours of light.

According to Rosenthal, a flash of Far red light instantly changes the phytochrome. No need to run them for any period of time."

"Ed Rosenthal's Marijuana Grower's Handbook:

pg 380.
Jump Starting Flowering

Long periods of uninterrupted darkness are nature's trigger to marijuana to begin flowering. This is measured chemically by phytochrome, which is deactivated by red light. The inactive form is refered to as Pr. In the absence of red light, with a peak at 666 nm (coincidence? I think not*) and effects from about 500-700 nm, Pr drifts into its active form Pfr, over a period of about two hours. This begins at dusk or when the lights are turned off. This transition period, during which Pfr has limited effectiveness, can be dramatically shortened.

Pr is sensitive to far-red light with a peak at 730 nm and is affected in a range of about 700-715 nm. In its presence it changes almost immediately to active form, Pfr. This effect is useful for shortening the two-hour time it takes plants to switch from inactive to active form.

Indoors after the grow lamps are turned off, expose the plants to far-red (730 nm light) which turns the Pr to Pfr much faster and induces flowering within a shorter dark period. You can provide far-red lighting using LEDs or some fluorescents. Far-red light can also be used to restore the active form of the hormone if the dark is interrupted by light. This may ameliorate the consequences of darkness interruption. "

Run them all night and see what happens then

You don't say what your source light is. Reason you might not be seeing any benifit is the main light already has some far red in it. 90 cri cobs have some 730nm in them as where the 80cri dont. Pretty sure running a 730nm with a HPS would also be a waste.

I run mine 2 minutes , 1 minute before lights out to 1 minutue after. Most defenently kicks my ladies into flower faster but i also run 80cri cobs.

Ya, I am running 90cri 2700k cree cobs, that may be the reason I am not seeing anything noticable.

Would an IR illuminator 850nm do the trick? 3w?

MissyGoddess said:

I am a little surprised that I can't find much on here using the search box to read about other peoples experience with using Infra Red light to put plants to sleep. It seemed like for a short time it was a hot topic and then died off. Some people swear it works as the claims state so I added 12 Cree 730nm to my Cob fixture. Reds come on 10 minutes before lights out and stay on for 10 minutes after the lights go off.

So far after a month I have yet to notice any difference in the plants. Leaves don't droop at all at night like they are going to sleep or look like they 'wake up' when the lights come on for the day... the leaves just look like they always do, almost straight out and praying no matter what time of day or night it is.

So, is there any new information about IR light that maybe I missed? Did I miss the memo that showed scientifically that it was just bunk? Or does it actually work and it just isn't as visual as I was imaging the effects to be.

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I started using a far red for similar reasons as you but I use it to extend day hours instead of 12/12 14/10, plants go to night metabolism almost immediately when you use far red at the end of the cycle, mimic the sunset, the ratio of far red to red is a factor
Watch from 5:20 on there’s a little info too but that far red thread the last guy linked has great info in it.

Cannabis plants do not "sleep". A waste of time.

/\ Prove it

We think the plants sleep but dark periods are for root development.
I keep my mother plants in 24hr light to slow growth.

I’m running the rapid led emmeron board with light on during the day and using they’re far red puck after lights out for 15min... and I’ve noticed the leafs drooping which i assume is them asleep.

Almost at time to cut and things look good.

Why has no-one here linked the infamous Far Red thread for this chap?

https://www.rollitup.org/t/the-far-red-thread.867665/

OldMedUser said:

I've never heard anything about using IR on plants and I've read thousands of hours worth of pot related stuff and still do.

UV light may or may not increase trichome or resin production but there's always lots of debate about that so I wouldn't bother. I grow pot that kicks my ass with one good hit so if it got any better it might put me in a coma.

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Go to farmer tyler on youtube, he explains how this works. Its an interesting video to watch. He had alot on light and color.