How Much Weed Can You Grow With One Cannabis Plant?

On average, a cannabis plant yields 17.5 ounces or 500 grams of weed under perfect conditions. Meanwhile, with yield-optimized strains, experienced growers can grow around a gram of marijuana per watt of light used.

On average, auto-flower strains tend to yield less than photoperiodic strains because they spend less time during the vegetative stage. However, auto-flowers have come a long way and a quality strain from a respectable seedbank can deliver yields comparable to photoperiodic strains.

What Factors Affect Cannabis Yield?

How Do Lights Affect The Marijuana Yield

Lights play a huge part in a plant’s growth. Through photosynthesis, plants turn light into chemical energy. During photosynthesis, light is captured and used to turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen. Optimizing the use of light and light cycles causes varied results. Controlling light and using it to your advantage will produce more yield in marijuana plants. Adjusting lights in every stage of plant growth provides support to the plant. Each stage requires a specific color spectrum which makes the plant respond and act on it.

For example, in achieving higher crop yields, red lights should be provided as they regulate flowering. In the later stages of flowering, darker red lights can be used to further help the plant in producing flowers to their full potential. Meanwhile, blue lights are used during the vegetative stage. This color regulates stem and branch growth making the cannabis plant grow stronger so when the time comes for flowering, its branches and stems could hold the weight of the buds without breaking.

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Other Factors That Affect A Cannabis Plant's Yield

Although grow lights contribute to the yield of a plant, it isn’t always the case. Other factors like temperature, humidity, water, nutrients, ventilation, and genetics all affect the final yield.


1. Temperature


A great balance between high and low temperatures would cause a great effect on a cannabis plant. Lower temperatures cause slower growth in marijuana plants which in effect, could cause stunted growth which would produce a lesser yield. Meanwhile, anything lower than 60F (15C) will shock the plant and might eventually kill it. In some cases, if the temperature is cool, plants become more susceptible to molds which could cause damage.


Higher temperatures also make the same effect on plants. Anything above 80F (26C) would slow down a plant’s growth. During its flowering stage, the buds would grow slower and might become airy and loose. More importantly, weed loses its potency and smell if its environment gets too hot. It is always good to monitor the temperature to ensure that the plants grow well and produce better quality yields.


2. Humidity


Humidity, water intake, and nutrient absorption go hand in hand in growing weed. Humidity is the measurement of how much water vapor is in the air. Therefore, if a grow room or a garden is too humid, plants could absorb the water in the air to use it. If that’s the case, then less watering can be done so that the plant doesn’t get overwatered. However, if the environment is less humid, the plant needs to draw more moisture from its roots which would require you to water the plant more.


Humidity could do both good and bad things to plants. Too much humidity in the air could cause slower growth in a cannabis plant. Added to that, molds could form on the plant as there is too much moisture. Fungal diseases like White Powdery Mildew could also develop if the humidity stays high long enough. However, if the humidity is kept at a level that your plants love, it will promote nutrient absorption and properly hydrate them.

3. Water

Overwatering is a common mistake for cannabis growers. It is necessary to keep a wet and dry cycle for the root to grow and reach deeper into the pot. If the water is too much, the roots will not be able to absorb oxygen and the plant will not be able to “breathe.” When a plant gets overwatered, its roots sit in stagnant water. As a result, the leaves will droop and might turn yellow as the roots starve for oxygen.

If done right, water would be able to do its work and deliver the nutrients that the plants need. Without water, weed could dry up and show signs through leaves turning yellow and drooping. Observing if a plant needs water or not contributes to its final yield.

4. Nutrients

Cannabis plants use NPK as their main nutrient source. NPK stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. These three elements are mixed with fertilizers along with other nutrients with the soil to enrich and supplement the weed’s growth. Varying the amounts of NPK in fertilizers would create different results in the plant’s growth.

For example, higher amounts of Phosphorus (P) than Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K) during the flowering stage promote bud growth. But again, excess use of these nutrients might cause a nutrient burn. Nute burns, as the community calls it, is a problem where the plant receives too many nutrients which inhibits it from absorbing water. It results in burnt-like tips in leaves that are yellow in color.

5. Ventilation

For weed cultivation, ventilation aims to keep the air from being stagnant. As stated by ACHR News, stagnant air provides a home for pathogens like White Powdery Mildew and Spider Mites to thrive in. It is recommended that the air inside the room constantly moves.

Proper ventilation promotes structural strength. Outdoors, plants are trained to grow stronger branches to adapt to strong winds. Indoors, proper ventilation trains the plants to sustain airflow. This results in the strengthening of branches which will make them prone to breakage. As the plant grows and develops buds, the strengthened branches and stems would be able to support the plant’s weight.

6. Genetics

Some strains yield more than others. Heavy yield strains produce more than the others. But that isn’t an assurance but a potential. A grower’s job is to optimize a plant’s environment based on its needs for the strain to reach its full yield potential.

Which Cannabis Seed Yields The Most?

Feminized
These seeds are bred to exclude the male chromosomes so they only produce female plants upon growth. Its advantage is the assurance of having a garden only filled with female plants. This means that every plant in your garden will produce a yield. Added to that, if you have found a feminized plant that satisfies the yield you prefer, feminized plants are also best to be cloned.

Auto-Flowers
Meanwhile, auto-flowers adapted to the lack of light which allowed them to flower even with the absence of it. They grow faster compared to regular and feminized strains as it doesn’t need much time to vegetate to produce flowers. In only 4 weeks, auto-flowers enter their flowering stage.

Which One’s Better?
Both feminized and auto-flower seeds are reliable in producing high yields. However, due to constant experimentation by growers, they prefer feminized seeds because of their accuracy to deliver results. Nowadays, auto-flowers are also feminized which makes them produce a high yield in a quicker time frame.

Cannabis Strains With The Most Potential Yield

Strain Image Average Yield Growth Time

25 ounces/710 grams

9 weeks

18 ounces/510 grams

8 weeks

25 ounces/710 grams

14-16 weeks

17 ounces/480 grams

8 weeks

25 ounces/710 grams

9 weeks

17 ounces/480 grams

10 weeks

30 ounces/850 grams

9-10 weeks

17 ounces/480 grams

8 weeks

28 ounces/790 grams

8 weeks

23 ounces/650 grams

7-9 weeks

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