How to Increase Marijuana Plant Yields: 10 Simple Tips

10 Proven Tips to Boost Your Marijuana Yield

Every grower dreams of a bountiful marijuana harvest, but achieving maximum yield takes more than just watering and waiting.

From enhancing root health to fine-tuning your plant training techniques, these 10 expert-backed tips will help you take your grow to the next level. Ready to grow smarter and harvest bigger?

Let’s get started!

1. Choose High-Yield Strains

Some cannabis strains are just born to produce monster yields. If you want a high return, genetics matter. Sativas tend to grow tall and lanky, while indicas are shorter but bushier. If you wish to big harvests, go for:

• Big Bud – The name says it all.
• Super Skunk – High yields and easy to grow.
• Critical Mass – Fat buds, heavy flowers, and a short flowering cycle.

When in doubt, research strain reviews and breeder recommendations before planting.

2. Optimize Grow Lights (For Indoor Grows)

Sunlight is free, but when growing indoors, light is everything. Your plants need intense, full-spectrum light to thrive.

• LED Grow Lights – Energy-efficient, full-spectrum, and cool-running.
• HPS Lights – Great for flowering but generate heat.
• Distance Matters – Too far, and your plants stretch. Too close, and you risk burning them.

Pro Tip: To trigger bud production, use 18-24 hours of light during vegetable growth and 12 hours during flowering.

3. Perfect Your Nutrients and Feeding Schedule

Feeding marijuana plants is like feeding a teenager—they eat a ton, and what you feed them matters.

• Veg Stage: High nitrogen (N) for leafy growth.
• Flowering Stage: High phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) for big buds.
• Avoid Overfeeding: More nutrients don’t mean bigger plants—nutrient burn is real!

Pro Tip: Use Cal-Mag supplements to prevent deficiencies.

4. Master Watering Techniques

Overwatering is the biggest silent killer of cannabis plants. Here’s how to get it right:

• Check the soil: If it’s dry an inch deep, it’s time to water.
• Use pH-balanced water (6.0–6.8) – pH issues lead to nutrient lockout.
• Avoid waterlogging – Poor drainage drowns roots.

Pro Tip: If tap water is used, let it sit for 24 hours to evaporate chlorine before using.

5. Use Low-Stress Training (LST) & High-Stress Training (HST)

Think of these techniques as plant yoga, helping plants stretch and breathe.

• LST (Low-Stress Training): Bending branches for better light exposure.
• Topping: Cut the main stem early for multiple colas.
• Super Cropping: Gently crushing branches to strengthen them.

Pro Tip: Training and topping cannabis plants sometimes increases yields by up to 40%!

6. Prune Smartly for Bigger Buds

If your plant is too bushy, energy is wasted on lower leaves that won’t produce much.

• Defoliation – Removing fan leaves for better light penetration.
• Lollipopping – Clearing lower growth so energy goes to top colas.
• Avoid Over-Pruning – Too much stress can slow growth instead of boosting it.

Pro Tip: Prune right before flowering, but avoid doing it too late!

7. Control Temperature and Humidity

Cannabis plants thrive when the humidity and temperature are just right.

• Veg Stage: 70–85°F (20–29°C) with 40–60% humidity.
• Flowering Stage: 65–80°F (18–26°C) with 40–50% humidity.
• Harvest Time: 60–70°F (15–21°C) with low humidity (below 40%) to avoid mold.

Pro Tip: Use a humidifier or dehumidifier to maintain the perfect environment.

8. Harvest at the Right Time

Harvest marijuana too early, and you lose potency. Wait too long, and THC degrades into CBN (which makes you sleepy, not high).

• Look at the Trichomes: Clear = too early, Milky = peak THC, Amber = more sedative effect.
• Check Pistils: White = too early, Orange/Brown = ready to harvest.

Pro Tip: Invest in a jeweler’s loupe to see trichomes.

9. Curing for Maximum Potency

After harvesting, proper storing and curing are key to flavor, potency, and smoothness.

• Dry buds in a dark room at 60–70°F with 50% humidity.
• Cure in glass jars for 2–4 weeks, opening daily to “burp” them.
• Longer cure = smoother, tastier smoke.

Pro Tip: A good cure boosts potency and smell by 20-30%!

10. Boost CO₂ Levels for Explosive Growth

If you’re growing marijuana indoors, adding extra carbon dioxide (CO₂) can significantly increase plant growth and yield. Cannabis thrives when CO₂ levels are elevated above natural atmospheric levels (around 400 ppm). Plants can photosynthesize more efficiently when the CO2 level is raised to 1,000–1,500 ppm, leading to faster growth, thicker stems, and denser buds.

How to Increase CO₂ in Your Grow Room:

• CO₂ Tanks & Regulators – Precise control for advanced growers.
• CO₂ Bags or Exhale Bags – Easy, beginner-friendly option.
• Burners or Generators – Effective but require ventilation.

Pro Tip: CO₂ works best with high-intensity lighting (LEDs or HPS) and sealed grow spaces. Adding CO₂ won’t have the same effect if your ventilation isn’t dialed in. You can see up to 20–30% bigger yields when used correctly!

FAQs

Final Thoughts About Increasing Cannabis Plant Yield

Growing marijuana is a mix of science, art, and patience. You can double (or even triple) your yields with the proper techniques without much extra effort.

By choosing high-yield strains, optimizing lighting, feeding correctly, and training your plants, you’ll be on your way to monster harvests in no time.

So get growing, and may your buds be big, sticky, and plentiful.

I got to run: it’s almost 4:20!