how much space does each plant need in my greenhouse?

[blackcat]

hi all,

I want to start vegging early March and put into my greenhouse April to mid-April and harvest in October. My goal is 2-2.5lb plants. I will be topping different strains multiple times. How much room should I give each plant? e.g. a 6x6 area around each plant?

 

[Seamaiden]

That sounds about right. That would allow a good 3' spread, still give you some room to work with them.

 

[Bluberry]

Seamaiden, is that in feet, and would the same apply for indoors? I am in the middle of planing my grow, the seeds are on the way, as are the lights, I just gotta build the thing. I want enough smoke to keep myself and friends going, how much space should I plan on using?

 

[Blaze]

For you average 2-3 lb plant a 6 x 6 area per plant is probably as small as you would want to go in a greenhouse our outdoor setting. IMO that could still be too tight depending on how big the plants get and what strain you grow. I've been looking into building a small greenhouse this year as well and at this point I am thinking the absolute minimum spacing I would do is an 8' x 8' area per plant.

It is always tempting to try to cram as many plant in your space as possible but this can really work against you, especially in a greenhouse. Be sure you have plenty of room and don't over plant, as air movement between the plants is extremely important. You will be much better off having a few big healthy plants than a whole bunch of crowded unhealthy ones. If possible buy or build a greenhouse with tall walls for lots of overhead space as well, and be sure to have plenty of vents.

 

[Tobor the 8th Man]

They will need some artificial light for 1-2 hrs until around May 15 to keep them from flowering. It could just be a few cfls on string lighting.

 

[hiboy]

Damn 6x6 is alot, but i havent grown outdoors in a long time. Was hoping something a little closer but i believe ya,
Most likely it also depends on what strain and how you train/ top em.

 

[Blaze]

Well, it all depends on when you put them out, how big the containers are, the strain etc. You could always put them out later in the season, and use smaller containers which would restrict the growth and give you smaller plants. It's a trade off though - your plant count will be higher growing smaller plants and your total yield may not be more. You could always start more clones than you think you will need and keep them in plastic containers so they can be moved. That way you can then move plants out of the greenhouse if it gets too crowded. I'm a medical grower so I always go for bigger plants to keep my plant number down so I can stay in compliance with regulations. If it is an illegal grow this may not matter to you. However, for a 3 lb plant you are going to need a decent amount of space per plant without crowding them.

 

[Bluberry]

Following this thread with interest, but as I am from Europe, can someone please tell me if these measurements are in feet?

 

[Seamaiden]

I am speaking in feet and inches, Bluberry, yes.

Hiboy, this is what I have found/experienced. If you're putting out seed-starts, they will get HUGE. For me, uncontrollably so. But, if you're starting with clones, at about 2'-3' tall, put them in the same space and they'll hit about 5'-6' instead of the consistent 10' I'm getting. I'm only 5'1", so a 10' tall plant is HUGE for me and difficult, if not impossible, to work with.

My seed-starts that hit that 10' hight have approximately a 7' spread, it's definitely wider than my arms can reach, but not twice as wide.

Blaze, you have room to work with. Remember, I only have that 3'x16' planter, so i do kinda cram them in. Interestingly enough, the first year I grew in this planter I planted 11 girls (split between seed and clone starts) and I got about 10lbs, give or take. This last year I put in 8 plants and I'm going to guess that I've gotten about 12-15lbs. I suppose that would bear out what you're saying about giving them room and they'll produce better weight, yes?

The difficult balance for me is this: I prefer to start seeds to do a first run outdoors in organic soil. I feel this allows me to gauge their growth habits, overall appearance, etc. But I have to start many seeds, and then when I end up with a bunch of girls I don't want to kill any of them, and so then I end up with a lot of plants that I need to fit down there because growing OD in pots is a pain in the ass. Literally.

Quandaries and conundrums, they abound!

 

[GanjaGardener]

The difficult balance for me is this: I prefer to start seeds to do a first run outdoors in organic soil. I feel this allows me to gauge their growth habits, overall appearance, etc. But I have to start many seeds, and then when I end up with a bunch of girls I don't want to kill any of them, and so then I end up with a lot of plants that I need to fit down there because growing OD in pots is a pain in the ass. Literally.

Quandaries and conundrums, they abound!

Amen. I calculated my last seed start run w/ males and weaklings in mind and my indoor area still ended up looking like 10 lbs in an 8/9 lb bag. I created new space w/ a makeshift attached greenhouse and still didn't have enough space. When I discovered a plant starting to hermie under the canopy, I quickly lost my emotional attachment to the ladies and the cutters came out.