Yield is a product of available light over a given canopy. It can be manipulated and maximized by a growers talent and genetics do play a role but the relationship between your light and your canopy is the largest determining factor for yield. Just about everything else comes down to personal preference.
Over the course of my time on this forum I’ve seen 3 questions that stand out in my mind that are repeatedly asked over and over again. The answers to these questions are really a matter of preference and technique more so than hard and fast rules. None of them directly determine yield, they’re just different roads that lead to the same place.
What size pot for flower?
The answer is really 2 questions. How long do you want to veg and how often do you want to water/feed. If you want a short veg and you can water multiple times a day a smaller pot will work but if you want to veg monster plants and can only water once a day you’ll need larger pots.
How many plants should I grow in my blank x blank tent?
Again, how long do you want to veg these plants? If you want to veg for 4 weeks you’re gonna want more plants to fill the space. If you’re limited by plant counts you’ll need to veg fewer plants for a longer time to fill the space. Everyone’s goal should be to fill their light’s footprint for flower, after that your lights actual wattage is a good indicator of yield potential. 400 watts should yield between 200-400 grams in a 3x3 depending on grower talent. Some exceptional growers can push past the limits but realistically they can only get so far. How do you want to get to a full canopy? It’s your choice.
Should I grow Autos or Photos?
How many tents do you want to manage? Are they all light proof? How often do you need to harvest? Not everyone wants to or can manage a 12/12 lighting schedule or multiple tents. If you need to harvest every 60-90 days with 1 tent, Autos are the only way to do it effectively. I will say that if you’re going to go the auto route you’ll need to select your genetics a little more carefully. There’s nothing more infuriating than subpar genetics when growing autos because you have to germinate a new seed every time and popping 9 seeds for a Sea of Green with autos can be an exercise in futility with subpar genetics. The breeders that show consistency from seed to seed with autos are rare. If you can manage 2 tents and a 12/12 light schedule then photos can be harvested every 60-70 days as long as you choose carefully and plan accordingly, 3 tents can get you a harvest every 30 days with photos but it’s a lot of work.
