The common question on every marijuana grower’s lips would concern the expectation they can have from a single plant. You cannot give a definite answer to such a question, as many variables determine the outcome.
You can find people engaging in growing weeds for many reasons. However, expecting the maximum yields is foremost on each of these minds. There are diverse motivations such as earning cash and medical reasons. However, the top priority is to get the best yield under any circumstances. We shall share some tips for you to enhance your yield.
Growing Indoors:
You can grow your weeds indoors. However, the deciding factor is the availability of light in adequate quantities. You can see from my experience that you need a watt of light to expect a yield of one gram of weed. Hence, a 400-watt light source can at best produce about 400 grams of marijuana. By applying the same logic, a 1200-watt light source can result in the yield of 1.2 kg of marijuana. In addition, you should be having the right kind of equipment, an air of good quality, as well as adequate nutrients. Spacing is also a very important factor in boosting yields. A beginner can expect the following yields.
| Type of plant | Size of the grow cabinet | Light source | Yield for a beginner | Yield for advanced growers |
| Imperial | 3.5 X 1.5 X 6.5 feet | 200 watt CFL | 1.5 to 2.0 oz | 3.5 oz |
| 3.5 X 1.5 X 6.5 feet | 250 watt HPS | 3.0 to 5.0 oz | 9.0 oz | |
| 3.5 X 3.5 X 7 feet | 400 watt HPS | 4.5 to 9.0 oz | 9.0 oz | |
| 4 X 4 X 8 feet | 600 watt HPS | 5.0 to 10.0 oz | 21 oz | |
| 5 X 5 X 8 feet | 1000 watt HPS | 250 to 500 oz | 1000 oz | |
| Metric | 1 X 0.5 X 2 m | 200 watt CFL | 40 to 60 oz | 100 oz |
| 1 X 0.5 X 2 m | 250 watt HPS | 80 to 150 oz | 250 oz | |
| 1 X 1 X 2.5 m | 400 watt HPS | 100 to 250 oz | 450 oz | |
| 1.2 X 1.2 X 2.5 m | 600 watt HPS | 150 to 300 oz | 600 oz | |
| 1.5 X 1.5 X 2.5 m | 600 watt HPS | 250 to 500 oz | 1000 oz |
Yield per individual plant:
You may not experience many certainties in the case of yield per plant of grown indoors. You can consider the following example. In case you have only four plants per lamp, you can expect a higher yield than 16 plants per lamp. However, you should consider the following disadvantages too.
- In case you have four plants, you can increase chances of ruining your entire crop even if one plant contacts a disease or dies.
- A lesser number of plants can make the growth longer. You should ensure that the tips of the leaves touch forcing the plants to flower. Number of plants can enable quicker touching of leaves.
- You can manage four plants more easily as compared to sixteen plants.
- In case the authorities catch hold of you, you will be having only four plants with you.
Growing Outdoors:
Under perfect outdoor conditions, each marijuana plant can yield 17.5 oz of 500 grams. In addition to nutrients, adequate water and protection against disease, you should ensure adequate spacing between plants. Two meters of space between plants would be the optimum level. You should use large cylinders having the capacity such as 15 gallons or 15 liters. You should ensure the early germination of the weed enabling you to have more time. We recommend for germination of weed indoors to ensure better management of temperature and humidity. In case of everything goes as per plan, you can expect a yield of 17.5 oz or 500 grams per plant.
You should provide your plants with adequate water and nutrients. The genetics of the plant has an important role to play as well. It is also essential to use high-quality seeds for better yield.
Five Scroggins steps helping to boost marijuana yield:
A marijuana grower should have knowledge about the term ‘scrog’. The growing process should not only be easier but beneficial as well. The literal meaning of scrog is “screen of green.” The scrog method involves the optimizing of the lights enabling the bringing up of the lower buds to the top. This can increase the yield. This method has gained prominence after the use of the HID lamps. Even during the days of the fluorescent lamps, this process was in use.
For a scrog setup to become successful, the most important thing is the screen. You may need a wire or a tightrope as well. You can hold the top of the canopy with the help of a sturdy screen. You have to train the marijuana plants to grow in the desired direction without making use of harsh methods affecting their growth. We recommend a distance of 20 to 25 inches between the screen and pots.
This method can be very useful for marijuana growers with limited light emission as well as vertical space. There are advances of placing a screen on top of the plants. It plays a part in keeping the plants lower. It also enables equal concentration of the light on the plants. In addition, the horizontal growth can produce plants that are more useful.
A unique method to madness:
The Scroggins method is not just about setting the screen up and watching the plants grow. Of course, there is less work. However, you have to be careful in case you wish to do the scrog correctly.
The first thing you have to do is to cut off the top colas of each plant. You should do this as soon as the plant reaches a height of 10 inches. This is very useful for encouraging the creation of new plants. You can shape it anyway. You can effectively manage the new branches as they reach the screen. You can see the branch tops poling out through the various holes on the screen.
You should train your plants to grow horizontally. Allowing them to grow vertically can cause the shortage of space. A horizontal growth can yield more as you have more canopy cover.
You should understand the concept of tucking. In this process, you use the branches from one hole and place it in another hole in the screen. You should be careful not to break any branch thereby reducing the growth of the plant. You can make your screens in such a way to enable you to adjust and raise the ceilings in times of abundant growth. This can keep your plants in a vegetative state for a longer period.
Maintaining the canopy can increase the yield of the marijuana plants. You may have to cut off the top of the plants to make room for branch deviations. In case you have many branches, you can continue tucking. This diversification can increase the light exposure to the plants thereby increasing the yield during harvest.
You should ensure to cut the side shoots and small branches just as the plants hit the top of the screen. This can boost the top colas as there will be no wastage of any energy on the growth of the buds and shoots.
Timing of flowering:
Scroggins is an indoor plant growing technique. Hence, the individual grower is in a position to shift from the vegetative state to the flowering state. You should ensure the right timing as many factors come into play. In case you use the hydroponic system, you should ensure the transition within a period of between 3 and 4 weeks. In case, the plants are in the soil growth stage. The process should take a period between six and eight weeks.
You need the intuition for the plant to flower. It would be possible to visualize the maxing up of your plants during the vegetative state. You should be able to judge how much your plant would need to continue to grow after flowering. You can start putting your plants in a 12/12 light regiment on being ready for the transition. As the flowering continues, the growth will also continue. You should train all the shoots and branches through the particular slots on the screen.
You can expect the yields from here on. You can reap the rewards of double the number of buds than on an average crop. However, you should exercise an element of caution while training the plants during flowering. It is natural for the plants to stretch via the holes. You should have proper ventilation just below the canopy to prevent the formation of molds. You can now enjoy your high yielding scrog plant.