Tips for Establishing a Perpetual Harvest

Last Updated on Dec 12, 2017

They say time is money and for commercial marijuana producers so is space. By maximizing greenhouse space and evenly distributing labor needs, commercial producers can increase cannabis supply and improve profit margins. To generate a more consistent supply of product, it’s recommended that commercial growers establish a perpetual harvest.

Perpetual harvest involves a process known as symbiotic rotation, where cannabis cultivators maintain plants in all stages of plant development. Plants are moved through the different areas of the cultivation facility to maintain a steady supply of flowering plants, thus meeting market demand more consistently.

Here are some tips for getting started:

All plants are different, but there are some insights that can be drawn from knowing the basics of your cultivar. Cannabis sativa typically has a taller and more sprawling stature and generally takes longer to reach maturity. Dominant sativas may take up more space and time in your facility to reach maturity. While cannabis indica and hybrids are typically shorter and reach maturity faster. Indica’s and hybrids are well suited for a perpetual growth cycle and are generally easier to manage. Knowing the specific lifecycle timing and size characteristics of each variety of cannabis you are growing is essential to making a plan that accommodates all your plants and uses your growing space efficiently. For more specific information about each cultivar, check here.

This can help you maintain the cleanliness of your cannabis cultivation facility and more easily rotate crops through to maturity. This process typically requires a minimum of four designated areas: one clone area, one vegetative area, and two flowering areas. Each of these stages requires different care and conditions.

Knowing the cultivars of a plant can help you understand basic growth characteristics, but growth cycles for each type of plant will vary based on genetics. Your growing methodologies and environmental conditions play a role too. Observe the growth cycle of your plants carefully and keep a detailed log to determine the appropriate amount of time in each stage.

Make sure the system used for growing cannabis, whether soil or hydro, allows the plants to be moved around easily. Minimal disruption of the plants is best and this will also reduce labor time. Designing your commercial cannabis cultivation facility to efficiently manage plant movement will save you substantial labor costs over the lifetime of your facility. Utilizing techniques and technology from traditional floriculture operations saves time, labor, and money. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel as looking to existing agriculture industries can provide many insights.

To establish a productive perpetual harvest it’s essential to invest the time up front to design your facility for efficiency, learn about your cultivars, plan rotation schedules for each variety and continue to observe and refine over time. This task is often easier said than done when managing a large cultivation facility with many varieties of cannabis plants.

If you would like assistance establishing a productive perpetual harvest, designing your facility, or any other cannabis business needs contact 3C today to schedule a free consultation.