The far red thread

[DonnyDee]

Is there a general consensus as to the amount of far red that is beneficial? I see Growmau5's rig works out to under 1W/sqft, but is there any benefit/detriment to more?

 

[randydj]

I am using 12W (4 - 3W) in 24 square feet and the response is strong.

 

[CannaBruh]

I am using 12W (4 - 3W) in 24 square feet and the response is strong.

What observations have you made at this power level?

 

[VegasWinner]

I use 7.5w psf. I also use cobs and not mono's I get them from here they have Vf of 8v and use 1000mA current. Can run with LDD drivers in series easily. I also use Deep red for morning the same amount PSF Far red - http://www.ebay.com/itm/381732558246?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=650782495379&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
deep red - http://www.ebay.com/itm/261407359610?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[randydj]

What observations have you made at this power level?

Stretch and flower initiation seem faster.

 

[tomate]

Now even though it's only 1 grow with far red light so far, it is very impressive that it knocked 12 days off the cycle for flowering without any visual loss of weight. (still drying it before I confirm weight).

Could you manage to compare the overall weight with your previous runs?
The g/kWh ratio would be very interesting.

 

[Icemud420]

Could you manage to compare the overall weight with your previous runs?
The g/kWh ratio would be very interesting.

I'm still waiting on the last harvest to fully dry and cure, but I definitely will compare weights.

 

[Icemud420]

Could you manage to compare the overall weight with your previous runs?
The g/kWh ratio would be very interesting.

So the only plant cultivar that I was familiar with is the Ogiesel. I've run it about 6 times in the past and generally it hits right around 20-30g per harvest (dried). Never been a huge yielding plant but very consistant, grows hardy and is amazingly dank.

Anyhow, this harvest the Ogiesel gave me 26.5g which was right in line with almost all my other harvests so the quicker flowering time on the ogiesel did not show any less weight for the 12 day sooner schedule...

With that being said... I generally with LED (In my setup) pull around 300-400g per harvest (6- plants but this harvest was extremely poor coming in around 180g which is about half of what I normally get. Now to be fair, I've never run any of these cultivars before, so this could have been part of the results I am seeing, but generally with a number of different grows and probably over 20 different cultivars, I never have had such a low yield...therefore...

Even though the cultivars were different and never run, I do think that the loss of 12 days of flowering had a lot of influence on this... and even though I can't say yes or no that Far Red light is beneficial as a flower trigger... It did work in reducing the cycle... but it wasn't without a loss in weight either.

So more testing of the far red has to be done in my setup before I can say that it really is beneficial or not.. I mean to lose 12 days of harvest is nice... until you also lose half of your yield which is no bueno.

I don't report Grams per Watt other than my grow journals (to track my personal efficacy) as the measurement metric is pointless to others and nothing more than a bragging claim... gram per watt compared to any other grow is meaningless because too many things influence grows, yields and plants and lighting is only a portion of this.

 

[Hybridway]

So the only plant cultivar that I was familiar with is the Ogiesel. I've run it about 6 times in the past and generally it hits right around 20-30g per harvest (dried). Never been a huge yielding plant but very consistant, grows hardy and is amazingly dank.

Anyhow, this harvest the Ogiesel gave me 26.5g which was right in line with almost all my other harvests so the quicker flowering time on the ogiesel did not show any less weight for the 12 day sooner schedule...

With that being said... I generally with LED (In my setup) pull around 300-400g per harvest (6- plants but this harvest was extremely poor coming in around 180g which is about half of what I normally get. Now to be fair, I've never run any of these cultivars before, so this could have been part of the results I am seeing, but generally with a number of different grows and probably over 20 different cultivars, I never have had such a low yield...therefore...

Even though the cultivars were different and never run, I do think that the loss of 12 days of flowering had a lot of influence on this... and even though I can't say yes or no that Far Red light is beneficial as a flower trigger... It did work in reducing the cycle... but it wasn't without a loss in weight either.

So more testing of the far red has to be done in my setup before I can say that it really is beneficial or not.. I mean to lose 12 days of harvest is nice... until you also lose half of your yield which is no bueno.

I don't report Grams per Watt other than my grow journals (to track my personal efficacy) as the measurement metric is pointless to others and nothing more than a bragging claim... gram per watt compared to any other grow is meaningless because too many things influence grows, yields and plants and lighting is only a portion of this.

Thnx for sharing your findings & thoughts.

 

[confined]

is there somewhere on this thread that tells you how to use a far red initiator? so i understand to switch it on after lights out, but when do you start cutting back on dark hours?

 

[Humble grower]

is there somewhere on this thread that tells you how to use a far red initiator? so i understand to switch it on after lights out, but when do you start cutting back on dark hours?

The way that I myself do it is I have my far reds come on 5 minutes before the main lights go off and then run for 10 mins after for a total of 15 minutes.

 

[randydj]

is there somewhere on this thread that tells you how to use a far red initiator? so i understand to switch it on after lights out, but when do you start cutting back on dark hours?

I use the far red to help initiate stretch and flowering; so I start using the far red lights at flip and run them for 15 minutes at lights out. I use them until the plants are in full flower and have achieved about the maximum stretch I am looking for.

 

[confined]

Thanks for the response. I understand that you switch it on just as lights go out for 5-15mins. But how about ramping up the daylight hours to 14/10? How do you transition into this light schedule when in flower?
Cheers

 

[captainmorgan]

First two weeks of flower 12/12 with 730 nm at lights out.
Then up to 14/10 with 730 nm at lights out.
Last two weeks of flower 12/12 with 730 nm at lights out.

 

[confined]

First two weeks of flower 12/12 with 730 nm at lights out.
Then up to 14/10 with 730 nm at lights out.
Last two weeks of flower 12/12 with 730 nm at lights out.

Thankyou CaptainMorgan the thread s a bit overwhelming, im sure the info is there. Much appreciated

 

[applepoop1984]

First two weeks of flower 12/12 with 730 nm at lights out.
Then up to 14/10 with 730 nm at lights out.
Last two weeks of flower 12/12 with 730 nm at lights out.

Do you use the far red at exactly lights out and for how long, the full 12 hours?

 

[captainmorgan]

5 minutes after lights out.

 

[applepoop1984]

5 minutes after lights out.

You turn them off after 5 minutes?

 

[wietefras]

It's not just a matter of how long, but also at what intensity. You need to supply enough photons to switch the phytochrome. That might be done in 5 minutes if you have a bright FR source, but if you have a lower intensity FR it might take perhaps 15 minutes or longer.

 

[captainmorgan]

4 years ago 10 watts for 5 minutes was more than enough to cover a 8x8 area, now take into account the LED improvements in that time.