Growing your own cannabis is easier than you think. But ensuring maximum yield requires knowledge and effort. From seed selection and environment setup to disease control and plant training, a lot goes into the process.
Planting seeds and expecting the best to happen is not the best way to grow cannabis. You need to create the optimal conditions for your plants to thrive. And you also need to create the perfect conditions for maximising yield. Regardless of whether you are a seasoned grower or a complete beginner, everyone wants their homegrown cannabis plant to produce as much yield as possible.
So, keep reading to learn about the best techniques to maximise yield when growing weed seeds.
Top Techniques To Maximise Yield
Here are the techniques that you can follow to ensure maximum yield at minimal effort.
Choosing the Right Strain and Quality Seeds
Some varieties of cannabis grow more rapidly and bigger than others. So, you need to get the seeds of strains that are labelled as high-yield or big producers.
For example, strains like the Super Silver Haze, Critical Kush, Power Plant, and Big Bud are known for their high yield potential. The buds produced by these strains are resinous and dense. Similarly, the AK-47 strain by Serious Seeds is known for a very strong high.
You also need to ensure that the seeds of the strains you choose are of high quality. Also, you need the much-desired flowering buds. It is female plants that produce the THC-and CBD-rich buds. So, you need seeds that will guarantee germination into female plants. For example, Sweet Seeds offers ones with an almost 99.9% feminisation rate.
Optimising the Grow Space
Having high-producing strains and high-quality seeds won’t help you maximise yield if the growth space is not optimal. You need to ensure adequate lighting, airflow, and temperature control. You also need to consider creating a tent with panels and reflective materials for light efficiency.
Good airflow is needed to ensure a supply of fresh CO2 to the plants, which aids growth and prevents mould. Sufficient lighting is needed to allow maximum photosynthesis, plant development, and bud growth. You also need to maintain a stable temperature and humidity to prevent stress in plants.
Check the specific lighting needs for the different growth stages of the strain you choose to grow. Understand the needs for light intensity as well as spectrum. For example, Sweet Amnesia Haze by Sweet Seeds is a strain that produces better yield outdoors, but can also be grown indoors.
Understand that more light won’t create a better growth condition. Lower levels of light are typically required for early growth, while intense lighting supports bud production during the mid-flowering stage. You can use mobile apps like Photone to measure the spectrum and intensity of lighting in your growth space.
Understand Feed and Nutrition Requirements
Supplying the right feed and nutrients is important for maximising the yield of bumper crops like cannabis. So, learn about the schedules for watering and fertilisation. You must also learn about the boosters and additives needed to maximise growth and yield.
Remember that feeding schedules are created on the basis of the growth stage. For example, nitrogen-rich nutrients are more important during the vegetative stage. But potassium and phosphorus are used as boosters during the flowing phase.
Also, understand that some strains are easier to grow than others. For example, auto AK-47 by Serious Seeds can be grown everywhere. But you will also find strains dependent on soil and light conditions.
Control Disease and Pest / Choose Disease-Resistant Strains
Pathogens and pests can destroy your cultivation facility. It can lower the quality of flowers, reduce yield, and affect the entire harvest. So, you need to monitor proactively and follow an integrated pest management strategy.
Focus on common devastating pathogens like Fusarium, Pythium, and HLVd. You need to combine the best environmental practices with the necessary tools and biological fixes. You need to learn how to spot plant diseases and take specific actions. You can also get disease-resistant strains. For example, the Serious 6 and CBD Chronic strains by Serious Seeds are known for being mould and fungus-resistant, respectively.
Train and Prune the Plants
You should use some training approaches to boost harvest. Here are the three main types of training methods you should know about.
- Low-Stress Training (LST): Gently bend and move branches and stems. This encourages growth.
- Screen of Green (SCROG): Spread out the branches using a net. This maximises exposure to light.
- Sea of Green (SOG): Raise immature plants in close proximity to each other. This increases the speed of harvest.
You should also remove small growth sites and leaves. This will help the herbs concentrate their vitality on the production of denser and bigger buds. You should also defoliate to improve light penetration and airflow. This also lowers the chances of mould and pests. Strains like Permanent Jealousy XL Auto by Sweet Seeds are extra large, and require pruning just for management.
Set Up an Irrigation Strategy
You are obviously going to hydrate your plants daily. But both shortage and surplus of water can affect growth, health, and yield. So, it is recommended to build an irrigation system to deliver moisture consistently and efficiently. You need to optimise your irrigation volume and frequency based on your specific strain and growth stages.
Practise Companion Planting
Cannabis plants tend to thrive when surrounded by certain accompanying plants. Some plants can improve the health of cannabis plants and increase yields when grown together. It also helps make soil more nutrient-rich and repel pests. You can try garlic, basil, or lavender as accompanying plants.
Ready To Maximise Your Yield?
Maximising the yield of cannabis is important for ensuring that you get the most out of your efforts. Simply planting seeds and watering them regularly won’t guarantee high production. You need to consider the growing environment, strain and seed quality, watering and lighting parameters, pest control, soil nutrition, and more. However, the process starts with getting the right seeds. So, get some high-quality seeds of good strains from Sweet Seeds or Serious Seeds today!
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