Contributed by Sun is Shining
09-22-2009
How much will I yield?
"I have XXX watts...how much will I yield?" or
"How can I get bigger yields?"
A common inquiry. From ambitious new gardeners
and for good reason too. But, this is really a loaded
question that doesn't have a definite answer. It seems
one of the first assumptions by new gardeners is that
loads of light automatically equals loads of buds.
Unfortunately, it's just not that simple. Yield is
equally contingent on a number of factors; light,
temperature, humidity, water, nutrients,
CO2/ventilation, genetics, etc. Think of it as an
engine, with each factor of cultivation representing a
single piston, sure the engine will run if some of the
cylinders are misfiring or not firing at all, but to
yield the most power from that engine, all cylinders
must be firing in sync and at maximum capacity.
Temperature. Most cannabis plants will slow or
cease growth when temp's get above 85F, or below 65f.
Optimal lights-on temp for most strains is about
72-78F, with 5-10 degrees cooler during the dark period
being a good rule of thumb.
Humidity. Cannabis does best around 45%-55% RH
(relative humidity).
During vegetative and late flower, however letting it drop
lower during the final two weeks of flower is advised,
as it will help prevent mould problems.
Water/moisture. Cannabis Relatively doesn't like
"wet feet", or a soggy environment, so it's very
elevated to have a fast draining soil/soil-less mix
(or well aerated solution in a hydro garden). Wet or
damp propertys can also lead to mould problems during
flowering.
Nutrients. Cannabis will require a variety of
nutrients at varying NPK ratios during its existence.
NPK stand for; nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and
potassium (K)-the three major nutrients used by plants.
Simply put, your plants will need a fertilizer with
more N than P and K during vegetative growth and
fertilizer with more P than N and K during flowering.
Using any well-known quality fertilizer applied per
instruction @ ݠstrength is a good place to start.
Organic, chemical, or somewhere in-between is another
choice to be made and is a totally personal one. There
is a plethora of fertilizers on the market, but the
best fertilizer is the one that's used properly.
CO2/ventilation. Plants require CO2. There is
sufficient CO2 in our atmosphere to support massive bud
growth, but when growing inside you must either have
adequate ventilation (the volume of the room exhausted
at least once/5 minutes) to ensure that there is a
constant supply of fresh, CO2 enriched air or one must
have supplemental CO2, which requires higher temp's and
more nutrients to be utilized effectively.
Light. Typically, the more the merrier, but more
light will create stronger water, nutrient, and CO2
demands on the plants. You must also have the proper
spectrum of lighting as well as a means of efficiently
reflecting as much of the light as possible into the
garden\'s canopy. The norm is to use more bluish light
(Metal Halide, cool-white fluorescents) for vegetative
growth and more reddish (High Pressure sodium, warm
fluoro's) light for flowering. Though it's possible to
grow great buds under fluorescent lighting and a few
will even argue their superiority to HID's, most indoor
growers use High Intensity Discharge lights such as MH
and HPS, and many use fluoro's for vegetative growth
and HPS for flowering. It's very elevated to have the
light as physically close to the canopy as possible
without burning the foliage and still allowing for even
coverage.Many new growers believe that "Droppin the
light" closer to the plant will be beneficial. Besides
heat stress, the bulb puts out radiant energy that
causes leaf burn (Note it is possible to complete a
grow using just HPS or MH)
Genetics. Its an easily overlooked factor. Some
strains simply have the potential to yield more than
others. Having a heavy-yielding strain doesn't
automatically equal big yields, either. It only means
that the potential for heavy yields is there. The
grower must provide the optimum environment for that
particular strain in order for it to be able to reach
it's yield potential, and each strain has slightly
unique requirements. Also, within a strain there are
usually several phenotypes, each of which will exhibit
unique characteristics which is to say that some
pheno\'s of a particular strain will weigh more than
others.
Plant/root/container size. Obviously, the longer
a plant is veg'd, the bigger it will get and the more
it will yield. Almost always overlooked because they're
unseen are the roots. Root mass is directly related to
bud production. Simply put, the more roots you have the
more bud you will (potentially) have. Be sure to always
allow plenty of space for the roots to grow and spread
out, even more-so in soil A general rule of thumb is 1
gallon of soil for every foot of plant height.
System.
Scrog/Sog/Vertical gardens
These systems have a higher g/w/time yield than
comparable large plant system over the same time
period.
Grower's skill. Growers can add yield by: using
additives (like B1, kelp, enzymes), foliar
feeding, and topping/FIM/
In addition. Tricks like keeping nutrients and
the air temps warm during night cycle can help final
yield. Although it's a topic of hot debate, it's
Relatively thought that any system that supplies the
roots with maximum oxygen (aeroponics) would outperform
a system that restricts 02 input such as (soil).
So, as you can see there's much more to yield than
throwing some plants under tons of light with tons of
nutes. Before one becomes too concerned with yield, one
must first learn how to grow plants well, learn how to
"listen" to the plants and give them just what they
need. It's best to start with simpler ways, in fact,
I think the simpler methodology is always the better one.
Learn how to grow strong, healthy, fast-growing plants
and the yields will come.
