Yield Statements

Hello All,
It’s been a little while since I’ve posted much, but I’m in the process of coming back to the fold so to speak.
One thing that’s been on my mind a LOT are the yield statements given with seeds. Not sure about everyone on the forum, but we “regular folks/growers” such as myself can’t even approach the yields touted on the seed/strain info. For example, something may say “19 ounces weed per seed”. The most I’ve ever gotten from a plant was just over four ounces dry, so not sure where these numbers come from. Is it an “absolute maximum” being stated? Maybe a disclaimer or instructions should be given with that value, stating the conditions under which those yields may be obtained, and/or giving a more realistic yield value.
In a way, these numbers remind be of stereo and speaker output values touted in the 1980’s - 100 watts peak-to-peak, which in reality is MUCH less (about 30 watts in reality).
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!!

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Hey @Bill I get what you are saying. Those values are obtainable but only under certain conditions. . Now for my personal grows…I typically get jar cured 6-7 ounce per plant in my indoor DWC tent. I only grow 2 in the 4x4 and 1 in the 3x3 and only photo’s, no over crowding here. But my plants are never the pretty girls most show.

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On HGCC and another vendor I’ve ordered from, I always see indoor yield figures given as weight / area, either ft2 or m2. The per-plant figures are given for outdoor.

But they gotta be talking like a perfect plant under perfect conditions. Most people don’t even have their light right; fewer still have probably ever taken a measurement with a PAR meter. So most people aren’t going to get anywhere close to that.

The wattage of your light is probably a better guesstimate for yield than those figures. Ive heard 1g per watt (led) as a target and fell just a little short in both my previous grows.

These figures might be a better estimate of relative bud size between the cultivars you’re shopping for. You can probably expect relatively larger buds perhaps, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to larger yield especially if other conditions are off.

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Marketing is marketing. Do not ever expect to hit the levels they show. I can consistently hit an ounce to 2 out of auto’s in a 10-11 week period in a 1 gallon cloth. indoors. Outside is an entire different beast. I work with Heidi in NY and we hit over a lb on photo plants, all 10 of them…that is harvested buds!
In my tent, in a 3 to 5 gal pail, I can reach 6 to 8 oz on a photo.
I may move some of my 1 gallon to coco/peat & perlite so I can force feed and get more out of the harvest. Growing in a neutral substrate means you feed multiple times a day, like hydro. Cloth helps prevent root binding…This is how the SOLO cup growers get so much out of a tiny grow space. If you set up a continual drip, you can hit 4-6 oz out of a gal cloth bag. Problem is, you wind up living in your tent. I am satisfied with an oz or 2, tending ONCE in the morning, ONCE at night…I can do 24 in half my tent (8x4) and 3 or 4 3-5 gal on the other side. I may just do auto and go for 32 at once. I have 4 lights, great exhaust…Rh MAY be an issue with that many plants. Mold could become a problem but I have My Frankenjuice for that

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All I grow are autos. After a year I can average 2-3 ounces a plant. I got 6 ounces out of a G 13 auto but it was outside from 3 weeks old to 3 weeks before harvest. I am ok with a 2 ounce yeld Per plant for now. I am getting much better quality and potency than I have been. I only use HGC seeds. The medical effects for me are important. And I love the buzz. I am happy so far and I love learning. I would be no where near as successful without this community. The info and experience shared here has been the key. Thank you all

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At $300 per ounce of flower at the dispensary, I don’t require too much yield from a $10 seed. Remember, most of the strain descriptions on the various seed seller sites are copied from other sites, which were written by stoners in the first place. There is so much bullshit floating around this market. One reason I stick to landraces or the old time crosses.

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Yields are based off of optimum conditions with optimal lighting., based off outdoor yield unless otherwise noted. Is it dry weight or wet weight?, everyone grows a bit different or are not as adapt as others. :sunglasses:

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@Mrb53004 what is frankenjuice? I have been having issues keeping the RH down and lost one plant a few weeks ago.

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it is not for Ph…
here is a link with a full description
https://castle-frankenstein.com/its-alive/dr-frankensteins-bio-animation-spray-bio-stimulant-fungicide-insecticide-surfactant/

if your ph is too high, is that going in or coming out (runoff)? If it is high coming out, you have salt buildup or your substrate is not buffered. Some cheap coco coir is not washed or buffered and can screw up the foundation
Peat has a LOW ph and Lime is required to move it up
If you have a reservoir and mix nutes early, the ph will raise all by itself, it is called ph float
same if you pre mix your nutes and aerate them, t will raise the ph

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Thank you everyone for your input. My main reason for asking was to get other opinions. The idea of yield has many variables, so it’s difficult to set a “number”.

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Unlike a machine, a plant has so many influences that any little thing matters. If exactly one grower used a very specific heat/light/grow medium and nute formula in exactly the right ph and rh, etc, and grew a cola that looks like the zucchini aunt Mildred didn’t see until Halloween, then yes, it’s possible. You or I won’t likely do it, but it can be done.

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$300 an O? Ouch! Up here in Canada (BC at least) even government stores are just over $100 per! And we have those little 80-cent dollars! Last bag I bought was $100C (about $80US) delivered! And pounds up here now can go for $600. Since legalization, many home-groaners like myself have restarted growing, and that’s dropped the black market price big time. When I grew back in the late 80’s, early 90’s, prices were $3200/pound to buy, $2800 to sell.

Only had to buy as I ran out and my 4 ladies are still budding, won’t be ready to smoke until mid to late January.

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I don’t usually approach the pound per plant until the 3 or fourth round with a strain. If I do not by then I have to think carefully about what’s a keeper. I am ruthless…

This strawberry cough x Durban cross I grew out last year was a trichome monster. But she only gave me an ounce and a half off a 5-6 foot plant. While her sisters I kept were pushing down the scale much better.

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I think my largest harvests were (this is harvestable bud, dried, not wet, not full plant)
Wonder Woman (outdoors - well over 1 lb)
GG4 (easily better than .5lb per plant)
I have had some other very large returns but that was from hydro forcefeeding under Cali Lightworks …all chems, not organic and thee is a BIG DIFFERENCE in finished product (taste, high)

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I’m learning to think of plant yield as similar to claims of coverage for house paint. Read the label, buy twice what it says you’ll need, and be diligent in not wasting any, and you MIGHT not run out, this says the guy who cleaned and packed away the bong last week, and it’s gonna be there a while. Seriously considering a secondary small seedling/early veg tent to allow a staggered grow in my little five sq foot tent in my tiny apartment. If I could harvest two plants every six weeks, I’d be golden even at an ounce apiece dry.

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That’s so accurate! Literally just bought paint and description is right on!!!
As for staggering grows, it’s not that difficult. I try to space out my grows so I have a harvest approximately once per month. Sometimes it goes a bit longer if the plants need to go longer than first estimated. I have the luxury of multiple tents, so doing this isn’t much of a stretch for me. For a single tent, you may consider growing autos so you don’t have to “flip” the light and you can literally start them as often as you like.

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