If we were to take a quick poll titled “Do you want bigger yields?” it's a safe bet that every one of you would click ‘yes’. For cannabis cultivators, achieving optimal yields is a constant pursuit. While many experienced growers focus on techniques during the vegetative and flowering stages - with success - it's essential for beginner growers to recognise that setting the scene for bigger yields begins even before the seedling stage.
By implementing effective strategies early on, you can lay a solid foundation for robust and bountiful harvests of cannabis flowers. This blog will explore six crucial tips to optimise cannabis yields before the seedling stage. These proactive measures will ensure your plants start their growth journey on the right track, leading to more buds at harvest time.
Soil Preparation: Nurturing The Roots Of Success
If you're growing in soil, preparing the soil adequately is a critical step that directly impacts your cannabis plant's health and productivity. There are many options when it comes to choosing or making a soil. While many of those options will do just fine if you're looking to maximise plant potential, there are extra steps you can take - and they're worth it.
Select a high-quality, well-draining soil mix or consider creating your own organic soil blend. Ensure the soil is rich in essential nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. Beneficial microorganisms can help by increasing nitrogen availability and making it easier for the roots to absorb and utilise phosphates - in other words, getting more nutrients to where they matter.
Add amendments like compost, worm castings, and perlite to improve soil structure and promote healthy root development in your growing medium. Once your soil is optimised in terms of ingredients, conduct a soil pH test to ensure it falls within the desired range of 6.0 to 6.8, allowing for optimal nutrient uptake. Starting with fertile and balanced soil provides your cannabis plants with a strong foundation for maximum yield potential.
Choose The Right Pots: Allow Room For Expansion
In this case, ‘pot’ might as well be short for ‘potential’! A bigger-sized pot has more space for plant root expansion and encourages more cannabis growth above the soil. That doesn’t mean you should buy the biggest pots you can find, though; that can cause a new set of problems requiring a different level of care. Remember, your plants will only grow to a size the root system can sustain.
Bigger plants need more space, but they also need more water, light, and more nutrients. And the final consideration on pot size – your level of expertise. The bigger the plant, the more care and training you’ll need to provide to get the most from the yield, so if you’re a relative newcomer, these are the things to be aware of.
Remember: genetics will play a big part in determining your outcome. A low-yielding variety won’t suddenly double its output because it’s in a big pot.
Selecting Premium Seeds: Unleashing Genetic Potential
Choosing high-quality cannabis seeds is paramount for achieving optimal yields. Look for reputable seed banks or breeders that offer a wide selection of proven genetics. Consider factors such as yield potential, resistance to pests and diseases, and suitability to your growing environment. Many Indica-dominant strains are known for their high-yielding traits and compact growth habits, making them ideal choices for maximizing yields. By investing in premium seeds with superior genetics, cannabis growers can unlock the full potential of plants right from the beginning.
Seedsman's extensive range of high-yielding cannabis strains is packed with top-quality genetics, designed to give you more at harvest time - as long as you follow the proper steps. You'll find a selection of premium strains with options to suit your taste as well as your needs and cultivation style.
Preparing A Proper Light Setup: Illuminating Grows Success
Providing adequate light is crucial for healthy and vigorous plant growth, even before the seedling stage. For indoor cannabis cultivators looking to maximise yields, it's worth investing in high-quality grow lights with the appropriate spectrum for the vegetative stage, typically favouring blue light. LED lights or fluorescent tubes are popular grow room options due to their energy efficiency and ability to produce the required light intensity.
Whether indoor growers choose LED or HPS lights is a matter of personal choice, suitability, and, often, budget. Whichever you choose, ensure proper placement of the lights to maintain an even distribution of light across the growing area. Aim for approximately 16-18 hours of light daily during the seedling stage. Establishing a proper light setup lays the groundwork for robust seedling development and future yield optimisation.
Outdoor cultivators can ensure adequate light by setting up their garden in an area with maximum sunlight exposure without shadow. Avoid planting too close to a wall or other structure that can impede the sun's rays from reaching your plants for hours of the day. Balance this with the fact that planting near a wall can be helpful, especially on the south side of a wall that can hold heat. This is useful at night and in the late season when temperatures may drop.
Temperature And Humidity Control: Creating An Ideal Microclimate
Maintaining optimal temperature and humidity levels is crucial during the pre-seedling stage to foster healthy growth conditions – although this can be tricky outdoors, where you’re entirely at the mercy of nature. Aim for a temperature range of 22-25°C (72-77°F) to encourage vigorous seedling development, and ensure the humidity stays between 60-70% to prevent excessive drying or damping-off issues. Utilise a digital thermometer and hygrometer to monitor and maintain the desired microclimate. Proper temperature and humidity control fosters an environment conducive to optimal seedling growth, ensuring a solid start for higher yields.
Implementing Early Plant Training: Shaping Robust Structures
Although seedlings are delicate, early plant training techniques can positively impact their growth and yield potential. Low-stress techniques like gently bending the stems or using soft plant ties can help promote lateral branching and create a more bushy plant structure. This early training encourages even canopy development, maximizes light penetration, and enhances bud production during the later stages of growth. By introducing lst (low-stress training) techniques like SCRoG (Screen of Green) early in the vegetative growth stage, you set the stage for robust structures contributing to high yields.
Conclusion
Setting the stage for bigger cannabis yields begins before the seedling stage, regardless of whether you choose photoperiod or autoflowering genetics. Choose high-quality, high-yielding genetics, prepare your environment well and use high-quality soil and the essential nutrients, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
By implementing these six crucial tips, you can optimise your cultivation practices and maximize the potential of your plants. From soil preparation and seed selection to providing ideal environmental conditions and early training, these proactive measures ensure that your cannabis plants start their growth journey on the right track. Remember, a strong foundation leads to thriving plants and can ultimately increase yields. Happy growing, and be sure to have a wheelbarrow on standby!
