How much weed can you get from growing one plant?

It’s a question as old as time itself, in our opinion, “How much weed can you get from growing one plant?”

With the Cannabis For Private Purpose Bill outlining that every person will be allowed to grow two plants, it’s an answer many South Africans are also becoming interested in.

But, to be frank, there are loads of factors that will determine how much you’re able to harvest.

So there’s no simple answer to the eternal question, but let’s focus on the general overview of what determines harvest yield.

Factors that determine your plant’s yield

If you have suitable outdoor conditions you can expect, generally speaking, a larger crop. While you can control all the environment factors indoors, space is always going to be a problem.

This being said, yield is only how much dried buds you have harvested, not the wet flower.

The same is true with other crops like corn and wheat. It’s worth noting that 75% of your flowers weight will be lost in the drying process. Also, you’ll be removing stems, branches, and fan leaves.

While a larger plant might seem like it will produce more bud, sometimes they produce thin and wispy flowers. So, bigger isn’t always better, as some smaller plants can produce larger buds.

There are major factors that will determine the size of your crop, which include:

• Genetics
• Grow Duration
• Light
• Climate
• Soil type and amount

Let’s kick off with great genetics.

Genetics

Like any living being, your genes are the blueprint for the future. Some genes will determine the shape and size of the plant. As a rule of thumb, Indicas grow to be shorter and more stout, when compared to Sativas, which are tall and thin.

This is a generalisation, and can change.

Grow Duration

The time you give your plant to mature and grow will effect how your crop comes out. If you start on the first day of the grow season you can leave the plant to grow for longer and get bigger. Rather than rushing the process, make sure you’re able to harvest within the seasons.  This is however only true for outdoor grows.

Indoors your major determining factor will be space as you can control light from the first day. Speaking about light…

Light

Where you place your cannabis plant matters, especially in regards to light. Weed plants love sun, and need at least six hours of direct sunlight. If it doesn’t get its dose of vitamin D, your crop will be affected.

With indoor, it depends on the lighting in the grow room. While a 200W LED will be great for a small tent, you need to ramp it up if you’re going with a larger space. You can view some indoor grow tent packages here.

Another factor that will affect your plant’s access to light is dead leaves and branches. If a bud isn’t going to reach it’s full potential you should remove it, as your plant needs to be able to tap into as much light as it can.

Next, climate.

Climate

Marijuana loves warm climates with some humidity. But not too much. While Indicas can handle colder weather and Sativas are super sensitive to cold shocks, generally your plant wants to grow in temperatures between 20-30 °C. In heatwaves or cold snaps its better to bring your plants indoors.

And the last element is soil.

Soil Type and Amount

When reviewing the soil, you need to make sure it has the right nutrient levels, retains enough water, and allows for the right amount of drainage.

If you’re growing outdoors, this might require digging out a large hole for the plant and adjusting the soil quality. With indoor grows, the container will determine the overall size of the plant. A pot that’s too small will result in a smaller plant that’s had its growth restricted.

Now that we understand the factors that impact the size of your crop, let’s talk about estimated yield amounts if everything goes according to plan.

Yield Amount From One Cannabis Plant On Average

If you’re able to nail all the factors, you can expect your outdoor crop to produce an estimated 224g outdoors and 112g indoors.

If you’re smoking a gram a day your outdoor will last around seven and half months, four for indoor.

Please note, this is an estimated amount. You can harvest more or less from either technique, as you can tell from this article as there are many factors that affect how much you can get from one cannabis plant.