There are three common metrics used to track plant growth data—grams per watt, grams per square foot, and grams per plant. Tracking growth to the gram is the best way to get the most of your data.
1. Grams per Watt
Used primarily by indoor growers, as it links yield to energy consumption. Growers calculate grams per watt by dividing the total number of grams harvested by the total wattage used for lighting. For instance, most indoor growers use 1000w lights with a typical 4×4 foot coverage area and cultivate 9–16 plants under each light.
While this can give some insight into energy efficiency, it’s important to note that grams per watt only takes lighting power into account—it ignores energy consumption for other systems like air conditioners (ACs) or dehumidifiers. If you’re focusing solely on lighting, this metric can be misleading, since it doesn’t give you the full picture of your operational costs.
2. Grams per Square Foot
Grams per square foot is used to measure yield efficiency, particularly in greenhouse or indoor settings. This metric looks at how much cannabis is produced relative to the size of your growing space.
It’s a useful metric for determining how efficiently you’re utilizing your available growing area. However, it can overlook factors like plant density or plant-specific attributes. A large grow space with poorly managed plants won’t yield as efficiently as a smaller, well-managed grow with optimal plant care.
3. Grams per Plant TOP CHOICE for Tecto
Grams per plant is the most accurate metric for comparing yields across different setups, especially if you’re working with varying plant counts, sizes, or densities. It takes into account the individual plant performance, giving you a clear picture of how well you’re optimizing each plant in your system.
At PDS, we believe this is the most effective metric for cannabis growers because it provides consistency, no matter the size of the operation or the equipment used. Whether you’re using high-powered lights or growing in a small space, grams per plant offers a true, standardized measure of plant productivity.
The Future of Yield Metrics: Profitability per Plant
While optimizing yield is crucial, profitability is the end goal for most commercial growers. That’s why PDS is pioneering the development of a profitability per plant metric—one that will take every factor into consideration, from production costs and power consumption to plant yield and quality. This will allow growers to measure not just how much they’re growing, but how much profit each plant is driving.
Using the right metric makes all the difference when fine-tuning a cannabis grow operation, and grams per plant offers the most reliable method for comparing and improving your yields. As we continue developing tools like profitability per plant, PDS is committed to helping growers optimize every step of their process for maximum success.
