Dear Cheri,

I recently bought a grow kit from the BudGrower.com and I am excited to get started.  Since I am just starting out, I wondered if you or Mitch had thoughts on how to increase yields or how to get the maximum yield when growing cannabis.  Thank you!

Yes indeed we do have thoughts.  But since you got one of the Bud Grower’s kits, another thing to keep in mind is that they have great educational info on their website and also the kits come with 3 months of email and/or phone support.  So do take advantage of that too.

When it comes to increasing yields, the biggest yields will come with experience.  Mitch says that the more you grow, the better you will get at it, and the higher your yields will be.

I concur.  You learn something new with every crop.

Step #1 to bigger cannabis yields: Proper plant care

That said, you can improve your yields by taking proper care of your plants.  And that takes a balance. 

Some growers, especially beginners, tend to “love their plants to death.”  They are the horticultural equivalents of a “helicopter parent,” constantly hovering and fussing over their plants.  They may even over water them or give them too many nutrients.  

In other words, beware of well-intentioned actions that can have negative repercussions for your garden.

On the other hand, don’t neglect your plants.  Make sure they have enough water, light, and nutrients. 

If you are growing hydroponically, be sure your pH levels are what they should be (between 6.5 and 7).  And make sure your nutrients are mixed properly.

 In soil you need to fertilize, but be careful of over fertilizing.

Again, all of this becomes second nature with experience.

Train and top your plants to increase cannabis yields

Once all of the above is covered, training your plants is one of the most effective ways to increase cannabis yields.  This means you will manipulate and spread out the branches so that they can get the most light. 

Be sure to watch the video above as Mitch talks about his “plants in bondage” technique to train the plants.  All it takes is a paper clip and some string.

Without training you will have one tall branch in the center of the plant hogging all the light.

Another thins you can do to prevent that is a technique called topping.  To top your plant you will snip off the top of the plant at a place directly above two leaves.  This will cause the plant to grow two branches where there would have been only one.  It also helps spread out the light.

Now instead of one tall branch, you will have two growing next to each other.  You can then train those branches to grow in the horizontal space instead of growing up.

If you have the kit from the BudGrower.com, it comes with a net to train the plants (or you can buy one separately).  The net prevents the plant from growing too tall.  As the plant grows you can weave the branches through the net to keep them growing out and exposing more of the plant to light.

The goal of these techniques is to create a more even plant canopy. 

Don’t overcrowd your grow space

When it comes to how to increase cannabis yields, it is most important to not overcrowd your grow area.  

For instance, the sales literature may say your can put 4-6 plants in a 2X2 grow tent, but that doesn’t mean you should.  One or two plants max in this small space, when grown properly, will usually yield more than 6 or more tiny crowded plants. 

Always remember, the point is not to grow as many tiny plants as you can jam into your tent, but rather grow big robust healthy plants. 

Mitch recommends one large plant in a 2X2 grow tent, and two plants in a 4X4 grow tent, following the topping and training tips above.  We talk more about how many plants to grow together in this post.

Put these tips into practice and see if your yields don’t start increasing!