What Is Far-Red And What Does It Do For Plants?

Far-red light is electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 700-800nm and it falls between the red and infrared regions of the spectrum. The inclusion of far-red energy in a grow light has been shown to provide benefits within the flowering stage of plant growth and boost photosynthesis when combined with other wavelengths of light.

Additionally, plants are extremely sensitive to the ratio of red to far-red light, which can give your crop very specific instructions on how to grow. As night starts to fall and the sun’s spectrum shows more far-red light, the plants begin to fall asleep so the night time processes can start. During that night interval, the plant develops chemical ratios that help trigger and retain the flowering stage.

What Does Far-red Do for My Plants?

When far-red is present, it:

• increases plant biomass
• encourages and triggers flowering
• promotes plant stretching
• enhances flower size and cell expansion
• increases the efficiency of other wavelengths

There are misconceptions about far-red light and infrared light. Some assume the two are the same. While far-red light can produce some heat, as does any light source, it produces significantly less heat than infrared light.