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how much weed does one plant produce

How Much Weed Does One Plant Produce & Ways To Get Huge Harvests Each Time

January 7, 2022

Looking to get more bud for your buck? If you only have a small grow area, you'll want to know how much weed does one plant produce. Cultivating cannabis takes effort and should be rewarded with enough smokables to warm you up through the winter.  

We've got expert tips to get the most out of your cannabis herbage and how much reward to expect from one plant. Read on as we unpack the influencing factors and ways to manipulate them, so you get the highest yield possible. 

Weed plants outdoors
Marijuana plant at outdoor cannabis farm field

How much weed does one plant produce: average marijuana plant yield

The average marijuana plant yield isn’t a simple figure to report. Marijuana plant yields vary depending on genetics, grow medium, and climate. Mediums like hydroponics typically give bigger harvests and more aromatic buds. 

The average marijuana yield per plant generally falls into three categories: indoor, outdoor and hydro. Note these are estimates, and actual yield depends on numerous factors. 

Let's go through the three common growing styles and closest approximations of the average marijuana plant yield.

Average yield per plant indoor in soil

How much weed does one plant produce indoors? Insidelants don't enjoy the same freedom of space as outdoors. Grow tent capacity and light wattage determines how much weed comes from one plant. You'll typically reap anywhere from 3.5–4 oz per plant when cultivating indoors.

Lighting is of the essence in a grow tent. With proper care, you'll get around 0.035 oz per watt of light. Using a common 600-watt lamp bumps the yield up to around 21 oz per plant. 

Better light means bigger yields, so investing in a brighter lamp like 1200 watts can produce up to 42 oz of smokable buds.

Soil is a popular growing medium because it's simple and holds nutrients well, but it doesn't yield as high as hydroponic mediums. Using the right equipment, adequate nutrition, and efficient use of space improves the average marijuana plant yield. 

Average yield per plant outdoor in soil

The great outdoors form the natural habitat of marijuana plants—free space, bountiful sunshine, and hydrating rain. Learning how to grow cannabis outdoors is crucial for all cannabis growers. 

How much weed do you get per plant outside? Outdoor cultivation isn't for everyone, but if your weather conditions are satisfactory, you can rejoice with around 17.5 oz of succulent buds per plant

Growing cannabis on your balcony will suffice but cultivating somewhere outside with at least two meters of space is best. The biggest benefit of outdoor rearing is you can grow more plants, and they'll have ample room, boosting the cannabis plant yield.

A pro tip for better outdoor marijuana plant yields is germinating the marijuana seeds indoors in advance because seedlings need controlled humidity levels. Germinating before spring gives plants more time to grow outside during better conditions. 

Average of hydroponic yield per plant

Hydroponics is a major bud booster that entails planting in a nutrient-dense liquid. How much weed does one plant produce using hydro? Compared to soil, hydroponics boosts the yield by up to 20%, giving you 24 oz per plant using 600-watt lights

Why does hydroponic growing change the average marijuana plant yield so drastically? It provides the optimal moisture-to-air ratio giving roots plenty of room to breathe and easily absorb essential nutrients.

Finding the proper nutrient ratio and maintaining pH levels makes hydro more complex than soil growing. Experienced growers can use hydroponics to increase how much weed comes from one plant.

Hydroponic cannabis plants
Hydroponic cannabis plants

What affects marijuana plant yields

How much does one weed plant produce? These six main factors play a significant role in bud bulk: 

Genetics

One of the essential factors determining how big, tall, or generous marijuana plants are, is genes. If it's a low-yielding strain, no matter how much light, space, or gardening skills you use, nothing changes how much marijuana you get per plant.

Sativa strains are usually tall fast growers with slightly lower yields than their bushier counterparts. Indica strains tend to be shorter slow growers with more generous yields. Autoflowering cannabis seeds limit how much weed comes from one plant but their rapid growth cycles mean faster, more frequent annual harvests.

Level of expertise

Practice makes perfect. You're allowed to make mistakes and use trial and error when you start your cannabis-growing journey. Seasoned growers know their way around lighting, nutrients, techniques, and increasing how much weed they get per plant.

It takes time to learn how to deal with unexpected problems like nutrient deficiencies or mold but don't despair. You can learn how to make buds bigger during flowering, and after a few tries, you'll be rolling in potent nugs.  

Location 

Both outdoor and indoor growing produces high marijuana plant yields if you use the best techniques for the environment. There are pros and cons to each setting. 

Growing outdoors is a popular choice, especially for first-time growers. Here are some pros and cons of outside cultivation:

Pros

  • Larger space to grow more plants
  • Natural light (sunshine) 
  • Economical 
  • Easy growing

Cons

  • Depends on seasons 
  • Unexpected weather conditions
  • Higher chance of pests and mold

Indoor growing is becoming increasingly popular, especially among experienced growers. Here are some of the pros and cons of indoor growing: 

Pros

  • Easily hidden from neighbors
  • Control lighting to increase the average yield per plant indoors, even with soil
  • Odor filtration is easier (perfect for dank strains)
  • No surprise weather conditions since you’re in charge 

Cons

  • Setup can be complex for beginners
  • Equipment is costly 
  • Knowledge of techniques like low stress training (LST) is crucial. 

Grow medium 

The two most common mediums are soil and hydro. Both options have unique benefits helping you nurture greenery according to your experience level and budget. If you want to know how much weed does one plant produce, you must consider the medium.

Soil cultivation is the oldest and most natural method. Most plants are grown in soil as it's affordable, easy, and gives substantial marijuana plant yields. It's ideal for beginners because it doesn't require complex knowledge like hydroponics.

Want aromatic, tasty buds? Soil won't just give you a high average pot plant yield; you'll get flavorful buds too. Your plants will be more prone to mold, pests, and diseases, but you can easily prevent them with the right nutrition and care.

How much weed does one plant produce with hydroponic growing? A bounty of buds is coming your way if you put up with the high commitment of this medium. It nourishes your plants like nothing else, creating extremely potent nugs. 

Hydroponic cultivation may provide a high marijuana plant yield, but it can confuse beginners. Installing and maintaining the setup takes time, knowledge, and a bigger budget. Once you get the hang of it, the insanely juicy buds from hydroponic growing are worth the effort. 

Marijuana seedling
Marijuana seedling

Nutrition

Getting a marijuana plant yield that's not just high in numbers but has exceptional quality comes down to nutrition. Why is this so important? 

Nutrients and micronutrients provide energy so your plants can bloom, protect themselves from diseases and produce bigger harvests. Marijuana plants go through different stages and require more or less certain nutes. For example, more potassium and phosphorus help them in the flowering stage, giving you a healthy cannabis plant yield

Maintaining a pH level between 5.5 and 6.5 is just as important as feeding your herbage the correct nutrients. A balanced pH helps the roots to absorb vitamins without overfeeding. Avoid chemical fertilizers and stick with organic nutrients to make pH balancing easy. 

Lighting

The amount of light determines how much weed comes from one plant. Light helps marijuana plants grow, and flower but too much or too little stops the flora from flourishing. If you live in a Mediterranean climate or somewhere with at least 10–12 hours of direct sunlight, your plants will thrive outside. 

With outdoor growing, your hands are tied when it comes to lighting because the only source is the sun. Indoor growers have more control and can maximize how much weed they get per plant by increasing light intensity and times. Here are some tips for indoor growers to get the most out of their lighting: 

  • Place bulbs close together to increase intensity. 
  • Rearrange plants or use the Sea of Green technique to ensure taller plants get equal access to light.
  • Follow a weed light schedule to meet your plants' lighting needs at various stages.
  • Prune bushy foliage, so branches aren't covered from the light.
  • Use a lux meter to measure brightness and adjust light in areas that aren't getting enough. 

Finding the ideal wattage is essential because optimal light levels give you healthy plants with high-quality marijuana plant yields of aromatic buds. Here's a simple guide to finding the best wattage considering the number of plants you have and the space you're working with: 

Grow area (m²) Number of plantsRecommended wattage
0.5–1m²2250W
1–1.5m²4400W
1.3–2m²8600W
1.8–3m²101000W

How to estimate the yields of your weed plants

There are many ways to determine how much weed comes from one plant, but most growers consider lighting indoors and pot size when growing outside. Note that once buds are dried, they become much lighter. To estimate how much you'll end up with after curing, multiply the weight of fresh buds by 0.25

How to calculate indoor yield estimates

If you know how to grow cannabis indoors, you'll know lighting is the most important step to master because it determines marijuana plant yields. You can calculate the average yields by the intensity of your lights. 

Of course, other factors like growing experience influence the possible harvest. Experienced growers typically get double the yield beginners get. Space, nutrients, and strain type influence the average yield per plant indoor in soil or hydroponic setups.

Here's a general guide to estimate your indoor yield according to HPS lighting: 

Lighting wattageGrowing spaceApproximate yield
250 W1x 0.5 x 2 m3–9 oz
400 W1 x 1 x 2.5 m4–14 oz
600 W1.3 x 1.3 x 2.5 m5–21 oz
1000 W1.5 x 1.5 x 2.5 m9–36 oz

How to calculate outdoor yield estimates

Calculating the average marijuana plant yield outdoors is tricky. Generally, growers use five-gallon pots and get around 3.5 oz of dry bud per plant. Some strains can give you up to 59 oz per plant outdoors, so it mainly comes down to genetics and care.

Cannabis outdoors in sunlight
Cannabis outdoors in sunlight

How to maximize the yields of marijuana plants?

Increasing how much weed grows on one plant involves working on all factors of marijuana cultivation. It's challenging to predict your harvest accurately, but you can take steps to ensure you get the best buds possible. 

Here are four tips to maximize your cannabis plant yield:

Prepare 

Getting a huge harvest of potent buds begins long before you know when to harvest cannabis. It starts with using high-quality marijuana seeds and germinating indoors for healthy seedlings. Once seedlings are ready to plant, ensure the following factors are ready: 

  • Nutrients 
  • Training techniques 
  • Ventilation
  • pH levels
  • Lighting 

Grow fewer plants

Less is more, especially when it comes to optimizing the marijuana yield per plant. More greenery requires more lights, and that's not always feasible. 

Growing a few plants allows you to focus more on caring for them, and they'll get sufficient light. You'll get a higher marijuana plant yield with fewer plants and more light than with more plants and less light.

Increase lighting

Use high-intensity discharge lights to get the highest possible cannabis yield per plant. Using 600-watt lamps spaced evenly gives plants equal light feed. Ensure adequate ventilation because they need enough CO2 to convert the light to energy. 

Train plants

Marijuana plants naturally grow upwards with one main cola and many branches that typically don't get even amounts of light. This apical dominance hinders the growth of the bottom buds. Training plants help them grow so that each branch gets enough exposure.

The Sea of Green (SOG) method is a popular technique for indoor growers to increase how much weed they get per plant. It involves training herbage to grow horizontally using a mesh screen, so all buds grow with the same amount of light. 

LST is a popular method for many outdoor growers, which requires bending the plants over time and tying them down. This technique makes plants grow laterally, so there's even light distribution. Usually, the bottom buds are frail because they don't get enough light, but with training techniques, you get all potent, juicy nugs.

Cannabis plants indoors
Cannabis plants indoors

May your harvest be bountiful

Maximizing your marijuana is obtainable with a few tweaks to your growing methods. Powerful lighting, adequate nutrition, and training techniques are crucial for increasing the overall marijuana yield per plant. With practice and dedication, your cannabis plants will reward you with huge harvests. 

As important as your growing method is, you won't get glorious yields with mediocre seeds. Check out the top-quality cannabis seeds at Homegrown Cannabis Co., and you'll be swimming in pools of plump buds in no time. 

Share this article on social media and follow us on these social channels to join a community of passionate growers. Subscribe to our newsletter for your daily scoop of cannabis news and visit our blog to answer all your questions. 

Head to the HMG store and start growing the finest marijuana today!


About the author: Derek LaRose

Also known as Kronic from The Cannabis Kronicles, Derek LaRose is a young ambitious cultivator and a staple educator for indoor cultivation.

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