Growing cannabis can be a difficult task. There’s a lot to consider. And you’ll definitely want the highest yield.
Say you’re thinking of growing in a 5-gallon pot. It might be concerning to think how much pot you’ll be getting from that pot.
So what will be 5-gallon soil grow yield?
The answer depends on several factors. The amount of soil alone doesn’t decide the yield. Factors such as genetics and location play a big role in the yield. Even the grower’s skills come into play. Therefore, there is no definitive answer. The yield will vary based on a number of factors.
That covers the answer in short. But you can estimate the yield and then build on it. Keep reading to keep learning.
Grow Yield Explained
The yield is the amount of weed you get from your plant after harvest. Buds removed from the stems are what make up the yield. The buds are 75% – 80% water when harvested.
After they’ve been dried and cured they become a lot lighter. Buds will lose about a fourth of their weight. Let’s say you get a wet yield of 1 pound. You can expect roughly 0.25 pounds dry.
Based on the strain you’re using, this weight can vary. Indica dominant strains contain less water and will give a higher dry yield. Sativa dominant strains are mostly water and will give a much lower dry yield.
Estimating 5 Gallon Soil Yield
We’ll need to start with a few assumptions. The first is the growing location. Let’s assume you’re growing the plant indoors. Since it’s being grown indoors in a 5-gallon soil pot, you’ll need a grow-light.
So, let’s say you’re using a 1000W HPS light. And you allow for a 4-week vegetative period. With these parameters, your 5-gallon yield should be a quarter-pound dry flower per plant.
As you can see the yield is heavily affected by the grow light. In that case, you should give your precious plants some great light source. To make things easier for you, here are some grow lights to pick from.
Obviously, this value is a ballpark estimate. Depending on the strain you plant, you can get a much higher yield. With the right setup, your yield can be as high as a pound per plant indoors.
But, you can expect to get at least this much with variables similar to these. It’s helpful to know what factors affect the yield. Knowing that will assist you in understanding whether you’ll get more than the minimum or not.
4 Factors Affecting Grow Yield
There are a lot of factors that contribute to your yield. And it’s quite difficult to find and figure out each one. But fear not. We’ll give you a quick rundown of the important ones.
Plant Genetics
If your plant is naturally a low-yielding one, you can’t really do much. The plant’s genes set an upper limit for its yield. A low-yielding strain can get the best nutrients and still not yield as desired.
Knowing the best strains for yield will help maximize your output. With the strain out of the way, you’ll need to worry about the setup.
Plant Living Conditions
There’s a perfect set-up for everything. Your cannabis plant is not different. It has the right temperature at which it grows best. When grown indoors you can also control the humidity.
For the best results, you need to maintain a temperature of 68℉ – 77℉ when vegetating. And 65℉ – 85℉ when the plants are flowering. The humidity for seedlings should be 70%. This is to be gradually dropped to 40% by harvest.
To control the humidity in a grows tent you can use a dehumidifier. We suggest getting one of these.
These will serve you amazingly.
Ventilation is also an essential part of an indoor growing tent. You can easily set up a hood ventilation system for that.
When growing outdoors, however, you’ll need to pick a spot that is well lit. In the right spot, your 5 gallons outdoor grow yield will dwarf any indoor set-up.
An alternative to using soil can be deep water culture. 5-gallon DWC yield can be high but it’ll require more expensive equipment.
Plant Nutrients
Next, you’ll have to look at the nutritional side. To keep your crop sustainable, you’ll need to give the plants 5 macronutrients. These include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
All of these are essential nutrients. To make sure your plant gets all of these you can use store-bought fertilizer. Pick one of the following and you’ll be good to go.
But, it’s best to start with a third of the dose recommended when using store-bought.
You should also learn more about the nutrients and how you can organically fertilize. While using store-bought fertilizers is okay, it is not sustainable in the long run. Going organic will help your plants and the environment.
Vegetative Time
And lastly, you’ll need to consider vegetative time. The vegetative phase is when the plant grows in size. During this time the buds don’t grow. Instead, the stems and leaves develop.
Source: Herbies Seeds
Obviously, the bigger the plant grows the more buds it’ll sprout and consequently yield more. However, if you’re growing your plant indoors there’ll be a limit on the vegetative period. 4-6 weeks is a good vegetative period for indoor plants.
Several other factors play a role in deciding the yield. But these are the most important ones.
FAQs
Should the Plants Be Pruned During the Vegetative Period?
The plants should be pruned within the first 2 weeks of vegetation. It’ll be essential if your strain produces a lot of large leaves. Large leaves can prevent the light from reaching the plants. They can also trap moisture. Creating the ideal environment for diseases.
Can I Prune During the Flowering Stage?
Yes, you can prune during the flowering stage. However, only prune the lower branches during the flowering stage. The buds develop during the flowering stage. So the plant needs to focus its resources on that. But pruning branches triggers the plant to spend resources on healing damages.
What Lights Produce Most Yield?
HID lights produce the highest yield. Light is more important than pot size to yield. You will need HPS or MH for maximum output. Ceramic Metal Halides give you the most value for your money. With HID lights, however, you’ll also need to keep an eye on the temperature.
Conclusion
We’ve answered in great detail why the 5-gallon soil grow yield isn’t a fixed number.
If you’re planting outdoors you should do so in mid-June. This will give you a long enough vegetative period. Which will increase your yields.
And that brings us to the end of our conversation.
