Every cannabis cultivator wants maximum yields from their grow room space. Whether you operate a commercial facility or small personal grow, getting the biggest harvest possible from your plants is crucial for profitability and success.

While many factors influence cannabis yields, one of the most important is optimizing your grow room environment and setup. With the right lighting, temperature, airflow and growing methods, you can dramatically increase the quantity and quality of buds your plants produce.

 

Follow these 5 tips to maximize your yields:

 

1. Dial in temperature and humidity for each growth stage

Temperature and humidity are extremely important for healthy cannabis growth. Each growth stage has different optimal ranges that must be maintained.

In vegetative stage, keep temps between 68-77°F and humidity around 65-70%. In flower, temps should be 65-75°F and humidity 45-60%. Monitor conditions continuously and use properly sized HVAC equipment to avoid fluctuations.

To understand more about why these temp and humidity set points matter you’ll want to learn a little bit about VPD or Vapor Pressure Deficit, we’ll cover this in a future blog post. For now check out this handy chart from Dr. Greenhouse with recommended guidelines for cannabis. https://www.doctorgreenhouse.com/cannabis-vpd-calculator

2. Provide intense lighting with correct photoperiod

Cannabis plants need intense light for robust photosynthesis. Research shows yields increase significantly with more intense lighting up to a point.

Use grow lights that provide 800-1000 μmol/m2/s for the vegetative stage and 1000-1200 μmol/m2/s for flowering, you’ll ideally check these levels with a handheld PAR sensor to make sure your lights are hung at the correct height. A good starting point for light cycle is 18hrs of light for the Vegetative stage, and 12 hours of light and 12 hours darkness during the Flowering stage.

 

3. Increase CO2 levels to 1200-1500 ppm

Introducing supplemental CO2 into your grow room can boost yields by up to 20%. The ideal concentration is 1200-1500 ppm during lights on. Ventilate back down to ambient levels when lights are off.

Monitor CO2 levels and use a sealed room plus controller and regulator to maintain optimum levels.

 

4. Maximize airflow and circulation

Proper airflow removes stagnant air pockets (read inconsistent VPD/transpiration), brings fresh CO2, and strengthens plant stems and branches through wind stress. Set up oscillating fans, poly ducted fans, or blowers to keep air moving throughout the grow space. You don’t want it to be windy, just a gentle breeze, enough to break up the leaf surface air boundary.

Be thoughtful about hot air removal and overall duct placement as it relates to circulation. Circulation is key for a consistent environment, and healthy, high-yielding plants.

 

5. Use SCROG or SOG setups

Advanced growing methods like SCROG (screen of green) and SOG (sea of green) make the most of available grow space for greater yields per square foot.

SCROG uses netting to create an even canopy for more bud sites. SOG utilizes high plant density with multiple smaller plants. Implement either system effectively for bigger yields.

While it takes work dialing in these parameters, the impact on your results will be immense. A finely tuned grow room environment means your plants can reach their full genetic potential in terms of cannabis flower production. Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to major yields and if you’re looking for help designing your cultivation facility to ensure consistent big yields consider taking advantage of our Optima facility design services.