Should I Use Infrared(IR) Light in My Grow Room? 2021 Update

Should You Use Infrared Lighting in Your Grow Room?

In the cannabis industry, there’s a great deal of controversy surrounding IR (infrared) light and its effects on plant health. Because infrared light can’t be seen with the naked eye, many growers believe it has no benefits. That’s why some question whether it should be used in cultivation. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain what infrared light is, how it is used in grow lighting, and how it may help your cannabis seeds to grow, survive, and thrive.

Infrared Light: What Is It and What Does It Do?

A little less than half the light that reaches the earth’s surface is heat radiation, otherwise known as infrared light. Visible light only makes up a small portion of solar radiation. Along with visible light, the sun emits wavelengths that are too long or too short for us to see. However, we can feel them. Have you ever had a bad sunburn? That’s infrared light at work.

IR light is a part of the electromagnetic light spectrum, where the wavelengths are much longer than those of the visible light spectrum. Most infrared wavelengths range from 700 nanometers up to one millimeter, and they are a primary source of heat transfer. The longer an IR wavelength is, the more heat it produces. There are several types of infrared light:

Near-infrared light has the shortest wavelengths in the IR spectrum. They’re almost visible, and they’re commonly used in household objects because they’re not hot.
Mid-infrared light is warmer than near-infrared light, but it’s not quite hot. With special tools, astronomers and researchers can use mid-IR light to study celestial objects.
Far-infrared light is made up of hot wavelengths. This type of IR light is used in grow lighting to help cannabis plants like og kush and sour diesel bloom and thrive.

How Do Different Grow Lights Use Infrared Light?

There are three main types of grow lights: high intensity discharge grow lights, LED grow lights, and T5 grow light fixtures. All three of these grow lights are capable of providing infrared light through various means.

High Intensity Discharge (HID) Grow Lights

HIDs provide a lot of infrared light naturally, just by plugging them in. Your plants light via chemical reaction when electricity arcs between two electrodes interact with ionized gas or plasma inside of a bulb. Depending on the type of gas being used, you'll produce white/blue light used for metal halide (MH) lights and ceramic metal halide (CMH) lights, or warm yellow/orange light used in high pressure sodium (HPS) grow lights.

In between all those wavelengths of light, though, is IR light. In fact, roughly 30% of the light emitted from HID lights is IR light.

LED Grow Lights
LEDs are made up of several diodes, some of which are capable of producing IR light. Most LEDs typically only produce visible light like blue and red wavelengths. So in order to emit infrared light, growers need to add infrared emitting diodes.

The ECO Farm ECOZ  Samsung 301H Chips LED Grow Light With Separately UV+IR Control is a great example of an LED that includes IR light. It features an infrared diode with an IR wavelength reading of 730 for boosted resin production.

T5 Grow Lights
In the same way as HIDs, T5 lights produce light with an electrical current and a chemical reaction. Like their HID counterparts, T5 lights — such as the Yield Lab Complete 54w T5 Four Bulb Fluorescent Grow Light Panel (6400K) — give off some infrared light but not a ton.

That said, growers can incorporate infrared LED grow light diodes with their T5 light fixtures, or buy separate bulbs for their fixtures that provide IR light. The S180 Advance Spectrum MAX LED Grow Light Kit is a compact option as it's a smaller-sized LED panel that still includes an IR light diode.

How Do You Use Infrared Lights in a Grow Tent?

Along with LED lights and T5 lights, you can also install infrared light in your grow tent. Suffice to say that it’ll help thrive your plants quicker. Your plant needs infrared light for faster flowering as it interacts with phytochromes. All you need to take care of is the intensity of the light, as too much heat can damage your plants. 

As infrared light assists plants to grow and stretch, it might also make it less compact. That’s why you should always consider the size of the growing space before installing infrared light. 

Remember that intense infrared exposure may increase the risk of damage to cannabis plants. When using infrared grow lights, make sure to use protective gear to eliminate potential exposure.

Because infrared light isn’t necessary for plant growth and development, growers should consider the cost of use. For instance, those who use HPS lighting must use an HVAC system to manage the heat. However, these systems can be costly and laborious to maintain and install, so you should estimate the pros and cons before purchasing.

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