Understanding yield to plant to pot ratios?

[BradleyPittson]

I am struggling to work out the affect plant number, pot size etc have on total yield.

Let's start with a hypothetical growing space of 120x120x200cm. Around 520 actual watts from the wall in a single LED.

For example if I decided to get one giant 20 gallon airport and do a one plant scrog. Will that be a better yield than say 6 - 3.5L airpots?

If you were going for highest yield possible what would the most efficient course of action be?

 

[Emilya Green]

time is the factor you have forgotten to factor in
That 20 gallon container, given 4 months to veg, will become a monster producing plant and could fill way more than your 3x6' grow space on a scrog screen. Given your small space you could go with 2 10 gal containers and more quickly fill that SCROG. I ran 4 plants in 5 gallon containers under a 4x4 scrog for years and I could get it to fill up in 2 months.
So, for highest yield in the shortest amount of time, that is what I would do, more plants in smaller containers, and I believe that this is how you would increase overall efficiency.

 

[BradleyPittson]

time is the factor you have forgotten to factor in
That 20 gallon container, given 4 months to veg, will become a monster producing plant and could fill way more than your 3x6' grow space on a scrog screen. Given your small space you could go with 2 10 gal containers and more quickly fill that SCROG. I ran 4 plants in 5 gallon containers under a 4x4 scrog for years and I could get it to fill up in 2 months.
So, for highest yield in the shortest amount of time, that is what I would do, more plants in smaller containers, and I believe that this is how you would increase overall efficiency.

Thanks for a great explanation.

So if the 6x3.5 gal would fill up the space faster you can then go from veg to flower quicker and fill out a similar size canopy.

For example if a strain says it takes 9-10 weeks of flowering on the data sheet, you veg until you fill your scrog canopy which is much faster with lots of plants. Smaller yields from each plant but greater total yield.

So if running multiple plants cuts down on veg time to just a few weeks, can't running photoperiods be almost as fast as autos with a much greater yield payoff?

If so I think photos would be the way I would go. Thanks again

 

[BradleyPittson]

time is the factor you have forgotten to factor in
That 20 gallon container, given 4 months to veg, will become a monster producing plant and could fill way more than your 3x6' grow space on a scrog screen. Given your small space you could go with 2 10 gal containers and more quickly fill that SCROG. I ran 4 plants in 5 gallon containers under a 4x4 scrog for years and I could get it to fill up in 2 months.
So, for highest yield in the shortest amount of time, that is what I would do, more plants in smaller containers, and I believe that this is how you would increase overall efficiency.

120x120 is 3.9x3.9 so basically 4x4feet isnt it?

 

[Emilya Green]

120x120 is 3.9x3.9 so basically 4x4feet isnt it?

yep

 

[Emilya Green]

Thanks for a great explanation.

So if the 6x3.5 gal would fill up the space faster you can then go from veg to flower quicker and fill out a similar size canopy.

For example if a strain says it takes 9-10 weeks of flowering on the data sheet, you veg until you fill your scrog canopy which is much faster with lots of plants. Smaller yields from each plant but greater total yield.

So if running multiple plants cuts down on veg time to just a few weeks, can't running photoperiods be almost as fast as autos with a much greater yield payoff?

If so I think photos would be the way I would go. Thanks again

in my mind, photos always have an advantage over autos because of the flexibility they allow you.

 

[CO Finest]

I been growing scrogs for decades and one scale that has worked with using plastic pots is for every month of growth add a gallon of pot size. So a average grow for say three month veg two ish months flower = 5 gallon pot so on so on. I have tested to many times to count on this. I have used a seven gallon pot on a five month grow and still seen the five gallon did the same as the seven on a five month grow. All about using the size needed without root bounding. Bigger pot means nothing just more cost if smaller pot can finish without root bounding. Now the tricky part now a days is with fabric and air pots. Root pruning changes that scale big time. What I have learned over the many years of playing around to see what differences they make is. A three gallon fabric or air = 5 gallon plastic. A 5 gallon fabric or air = 7 gallon plastic. So it is around two gallons less needed for fabric and air then plastic pots. Now for filling a net. That comes down to your style and time you want to play with. Quick break down. More pots and plants = more money to make the grow with. Pot price,soil price,nute price and water price. So if you want the cheapest net fill then more veg time needed for one plant to fill net. I did a video series on this years ago on youtube with the same clones for the grow. It was in a 5x10 foot tent. One plant vrs six plants. Yield was close the one plant yielded a little more with the six plants costing me way more to grow. Can go round and round on this but I will say pot size is key and will save you the money no matter how you grow. To big = waste of money.

Hope that helps some. Take care

 

[BradleyPittson]

I been growing scrogs for decades and one scale that has worked with using plastic pots is for every month of growth add a gallon of pot size. So a average grow for say three month veg two ish months flower = 5 gallon pot so on so on. I have tested to many times to count on this. I have used a seven gallon pot on a five month grow and still seen the five gallon did the same as the seven on a five month grow. All about using the size needed without root bounding. Bigger pot means nothing just more cost if smaller pot can finish without root bounding. Now the tricky part now a days is with fabric and air pots. Root pruning changes that scale big time. What I have learned over the many years of playing around to see what differences they make is. A three gallon fabric or air = 5 gallon plastic. A 5 gallon fabric or air = 7 gallon plastic. So it is around two gallons less needed for fabric and air then plastic pots. Now for filling a net. That comes down to your style and time you want to play with. Quick break down. More pots and plants = more money to make the grow with. Pot price,soil price,nute price and water price. So if you want the cheapest net fill then more veg time needed for one plant to fill net. I did a video series on this years ago on youtube with the same clones for the grow. It was in a 5x10 foot tent. One plant vrs six plants. Yield was close the one plant yielded a little more with the six plants costing me way more to grow. Can go round and round on this but I will say pot size is key and will save you the money no matter how you grow. To big = waste of money.

Hope that helps some. Take care

For a first grow would you say go with one plant or multiple? I like the idea of a single plant.

However the extra veg time seems to make it pointless. Still after having bonsai for years I'd love a giant single plant to lollipop and scrog out all bushy.

 

[Chris Scorpio]

For a first grow would you say go with one plant or multiple? I like the idea of a single plant.

However the extra veg time seems to make it pointless. Still after having bonsai for years I'd love a giant single plant to lollipop and scrog out all bushy.

As a new grower

Never try and plan for the best options, that won't happen

I've grown veggies for decades, Cannabis is nothing like any of that

Start small, and manageable, like 4 plants.
Learn the process, nutes,lights, watering, pH
Understand the plant and it's needs

Then!!!!

Worry about yields and big grows

Because I guarantee....yer 1st grow will not turn out as you hope it will

 

[CO Finest]

Chris Scorpio said it very well. Learning to grow your strains of plants is key. I veg mother plants for nine to year pulse old then flower them but I know all there needs and how they like to be trained. With growing big old plants there are two ways that will happen. One you will veg it long term by its self because lack of room or two you have the space to do a perpetual grow like I do and always have plants moving in on the times you set plant growth apart. It is all up to you my friend. I would recommend doing a couple smaller growers and learn training like LST topping all that stuff before jumping into the investment of growing a big girl but to each his own. You can do the same training with four plants under a net that you plan on doing with the one to learn. I have said it to many times to count over the past years, learning your plants you grow is the key to yield and quality. I have been growing sense spring of 1986 and a lot has changed and keep changing with stuff available to grow with. I wish you the best take care.