How to Never Run Out of Weed: A Guide To Set Up Perpetual Harvests

Who doesn't like an unlimited supply of fresh cannabis buds? But you’d think it’s not possible. You can only grow one batch of cannabis plants at a time, right? 

Nope. Wrong. 

Say hello to the concept of perpetual harvest, which allows you to have a flowering cannabis plant at all times. This method is the secret to never running out of weed ever again. Here’s a guide on what is perpetual harvest and how you can benefit from it. 

What is Perpetual Harvest?

A perpetual harvest is a cannabis cultivation method that ensures you always have a plant ready to give you buds to harvest. This method consists of using multiple grow tents with cannabis plants in each growth stage — one tent will have seedlings, another will have vegetative plants, and the third one will have flowering plants. Or, you can purchase one grow tent that has partitions to grow plants. 

Thanks to this method, you never run out of buds since you always have at least one cannabis plant that is blooming, and when you harvest that plant, the vegetative plant will be ready to substitute the harvested plant and become the next plant to harvest.

Just remember one thing: most growers that use perpetual harvest to grow cannabis clone their plants and you might need a separate tent for the mother plant, too. This is because, over time, purchasing new seeds and germinating them can get quite expensive. Rather, it’s better to clone the plants. This also ensures consistency in your crop. 

Pros of Perpetual Harvest

There are many reasons why you’d want to use perpetual harvest. Here are some of them:

• You get a virtually unlimited supply of flowers — imagine, you no longer have to worry about running out of stash! Chances are, with this process, you’ll end up with more buds than you can use. 
• You use every bit of space you have as you rotate the plants constantly, depending on their stage of growth. Needless to say, this efficient use of the space you have ensures a high yield per square foot and also increases productivity
• It acts as a safety net for your cultivation; if any unexpected issue kills your flowering plant, you don’t have to start from scratch — there will always be vegetative plants ready to replace them. 
• With this method, you can put more focus on each growing cycle, as a result, you can produce and grow better cannabis plants with higher yields. 
• It’s a fun process that helps you grow as a grower, pun intended; it is challenging initially, but it is worth it. 

Cons of Perpetual Harvest

As terrific as it is, perpetual harvest isn’t for everyone. There are some reasons why it may not work for you, such as the following:

• It requires a lot of work — you’ll always have something on your plate, whether it is harvesting, feeding, training, cloning, and whatnot. It requires that you plan everything meticulously and your attention to detail has to be top-notch. Even if you automate things, you will have to maintain the plants as they may be in different stages of their growth. It can be slightly challenging to manage all those plants, especially if you don’t have experience growing cannabis.
• You need to be selective about the strains you grow since not all strains are suitable for perpetual harvest. This is because some strains grow fast while others don’t, and their flowering time may also vary. 
• This is an expensive affair, at least at the beginning, since you need more space, more supplies, more materials, etc.

Things You Need for Perpetual Harvest

If you are okay with the drawbacks and want to give this cultivation method a shot, then let’s get started by ticking things off the checklist. This setup needs more than a standard cannabis setup, so you need to be more meticulous about this. 

Here are the things you need to start a successful perpetual harvest.

• A Lot of Time 

This is necessary for a perpetual harvest setup; without this, not even the best setup will save you — we’re talking about time. You’ll be constantly busy in your cannabis grow room, either harvesting a plant, transferring a plant, cloning, training, etc. Sometimes, you’ll also have to multitask everything, especially if one of your plants runs into trouble. 

So, if you don’t think you can dedicate enough time to this, you may want to reconsider your decision. This is a task to take on and it’s completely okay if your daily life does not allow it. 

• A Lot of Space 

When growing cannabis plants with perpetual harvest, you need at least two to three separate spaces for plants in different growth stages. This does not mean you have to purchase a condo; you can make do with three grow tents in a single room, too. 

If you are creative enough, you can even fit a perpetual harvest setup in a closet, but we’d recommend having a bigger setup nonetheless. Some space for working on the plants is always a plus, isn’t it? 

You can also use a multi-chamber grow tent that is compact and relatively affordable, and it comes with at least two chambers for vegetative and flowering cannabis plants. 

Or, you need to dedicate some space outdoors where you germinate the seeds, wait for them to grow into their vegetative phase, and then shift them to your tent. If that’s not possible, you will surely need a large grow tent. 

• Every Standard Equipment But Double — Mostly 

Consider a standard cannabis setup for one cannabis plant; it uses a single hydroponic setup, a single reservoir, a single pump, a pair of grow lights, and a couple of fans. But if you want to use perpetual harvest, you’ll have to use the same equipment but twice in number. 

This can get significantly more expensive. Plus, you’ll also need more nutrients, more water, and more storage supplies for your cannabis buds. Of course, this does not include the basics like pruning scissors or gardening gloves. 

With perpetual harvesting, the strains you choose are very important. Each variety has its unique characteristics which have a big impact on how a continuous harvest will turn out. Here are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Grow Time: Choose strains that have relatively short flowering periods. Since perpetual harvest relies on a constant cycle of planting, flowering, and harvesting, you need to choose strains with faster turnaround times if you want to be successful. 
• High yields: You will be putting in more effort with perpetual harvest, so you might as well get more yields. Thus, to maximize your return, choose strains that tend to grow big and produce high yields. This means that you’ll have to thoroughly research the strains, see what others are saying, and then make a decision. A quick way to do that is to go over the diaries posted on our site. 
• Size and Structure: Think about the physical properties of the plant. Compact, bushy plants are great in indoor settings with limited vertical height because they fit well inside small spaces. If you want to do perpetual harvesting, you’ll need bigger tents.
• Resilience: Choose varieties that are known to be resistant to pests and diseases. Easier said than done, yes, but you need to plan well beforehand and place a lot of importance on purchasing the right seeds. Imagine an entire crop being spoiled due to pests! You don’t want that, so go for seeds with strong genetics. 
• Autoflowering vs. Photoperiod: Decide if you want to grow autoflowering or photoperiod weed. Autoflowering strains switch automatically from the vegetative to the flowering stage as they reach a certain age. Photoperiod varieties are dependent on a light schedule to flower. You can choose either of these for perpetual harvesting. We will discuss this in detail in the sections below.

Setting Up a Perpetual Harvest for Cannabis 

Perpetual harvest is a time-consuming process, but setting it up is fairly simple. It’s very similar to a regular setup, but here too, you just need more of it. At first, you only need one setup for your vegetative plant, and then you can add one more when you move it to the flowering setup — this is when it becomes a perpetual harvest. 

Here’s how you can set it up. 

• Clone or Germinate Your Seeds 

The first step is to clone or germinate seeds of a particular strain, and ideally, you should have a dedicated space for cloning and germination, too. Some growers even prefer keeping their seedlings in their veg grow tent or chamber since both stages require more or less similar conditions. 

Keep your clones or seedlings in a slightly warmer and more humid setup under an 18/6 light cycle, just like you would your vegetative cannabis plants. They will take around two weeks to develop their root system, after which they will transition into the vegetative stage. 

• Move the Plant Into the Vegetative Grow Tent 

Once your seedlings or clones have developed the roots, you can shift them into the vegetative chamber, where they can start growing properly. Here, you’ll need to keep the plant in the right environment, as per the strain, and use an 18/6 light cycle. 

Here, the schedule is entirely up to you since you are growing photoperiod plants. So, you can let your cannabis plant grow as long as you want but remember to time the next batch of clones or seedlings accordingly. 

• Shift the Veg Plants into the Flowering Chamber 

Once you are ready to shift your cannabis plant into the flowering stage, you can move it to its third grow tent, the flowering chamber. The time to do this depends on you, but if you want the best results, move the plant when it is half of its expected final size. 

Since cannabis plants experience a flowering stretch, ensure your flowering chamber is big enough or your plant compact enough to fit into it. In this chamber, you need to keep the light cycle to 12/12, and you can also use supplements like sweeteners and bloom boosters. 

Once you move the plant into the flowering chamber, you can then move your fresh seedling or clone into the vegetative chamber to grow. Hopefully, you’ve timed it right, or you may lose time here. 

• Harvest Your Flowering Plant 

After a while, your flowering cannabis plant will be ready for harvest. Hopefully, by this time, your vegetative plant should have grown tall enough and the seedling/clone should be ready for growing. If not, you need to work on your timing still. 

Once the buds are ready, harvest the buds, take the harvest plant out of the chamber, and replace it with the vegetative plant. And replace the vegetative plant with the new clone.

Continue this cycle, and in a single season, you’ll be able to harvest more buds than you could ever imagine! If you are lucky, your yield will quadruple, but if nothing, it will at least double in size! 

Photoperiods or Autoflowers: What’s Better for Perpetual Harvest?

Choosing either autos or photoperiods will depend on a lot of factors including your cultivation goals, resources available, and personal preferences. Let's take a detailed look and the advantages they offer so this decision becomes easier. 

Photoperiod Strains

Advantages

• Since photoperiods will start flowering when you manipulate the light cycle (switching from 18/6 to 12/12, for instance) you can control and plan the flowering time even if you’re growing several plants and want them all to flower at a specific time. 
• Photoperiod plants give you the flexibility to train them. This way, you can employ the LST or topping technique on all plants to maintain a uniform canopy and then switch them to flowering. Even if you make a few mistakes, photoperiods are pretty forgiving and you can wait for the plants to recoup until they start flowering. 
• Last but not least, most breeders offer a lot of photoperiods in comparison to autoflowers. This vast genetic diversity allows you to choose from a vast array of flavors, effects, and characteristics. Fortunately, you have ample opportunity for experimentation and variation in terms of design for continuous plantations. 

Cons

• Photo periods typically have longer vegetative stages than autoflowers. No doubt, this is an advantage when training them; however, the plants take longer to flower compared to autos. 
• You have to be very careful with lighting as small light leaks can switch the plants back to the vegetative stage, known as re-vegging. 

Autoflowers

Advantages

• Autos automatically switch over from the growing season to the flowering stage once they attain a certain age, irrespective of the light cycle. With its rapid germination and flowering method, this short period allows you to produce more harvests annually even with perpetual setups. 
• Autoflowers, by their very nature, have fewer requirements for growing and less demand for maintenance than photoperiod strains. For instance, because they shift automatically from vegetative light hours into flowering hours, you can grow them easily without any fuss about light schedules. 
• Because of their small size compared with photoperiod plants, autoflowers are suitable for growing indoors with limited room. If you want to grow cannabis discreetly, there’s no better choice than autos; however, many autos produced nowadays grow very big, so make sure you read the description properly to choose the right strain. 

Cons

• For perpetual harvests, you need to have control over the flowering period, especially since you need many plants flowering at the same time. Since autoflowers do not offer that control compared to photoperiods, it can be challenging to maintain uniformity. This means that while some plants may start flowering, others may still be in the vegetative phase and flower at a different pace. 

Autoflowering cannabis plants makes it easy if you want to experiment with perpetual harvests. First, you can start with your initial batch of plants. Leave some space to introduce new plants. Next, wait for them to mature for at least 5-6 weeks before introducing a new set of plants into your grow room. Repeat this process every 5 to 6 weeks to ensure a perpetual harvest schedule. This method is particularly beneficial in areas where you have legal restrictions to grow a specific number of plants. 

The good thing is that you don’t have to worry about introducing new vegetating plants or seedlings into your grow room even if you have flowering plants because autos don’t depend on the light cycle, as mentioned earlier. You can simply continue with 20/4 or 18/6 hours of light even for the new set of plants. Pay careful attention to the new seedlings at this point, though. You don’t want them to burn under the lights. Alternatively, you can sprout the seeds outdoors and then shift them indoors when they have grown a couple of sets of leaves to help them adjust to the light. Autos can surely grow with even 12 hours of light, but you should expose them to more light if you want more yields. 

On the other hand, setting up a harvest system with photoperiod cannabis plants involves using two separate tents. One tent is used for seedling and vegetative growth receiving light for 18 to 20 hours each day while the other tent is designated for flowering and operates on a 12-hour light cycle. 

One thing to note is that you should control the lighting to ensure that the flowering tent is light-proof throughout the cycle. Even a bit of light filtering through can disrupt its light cycle and the plant can start vegging again! Or, it could become a hermaphrodite, which means that it can develop both male and female organs. In short, you won’t have sensimilla or seedless buds, so take care of the lighting properly. 

If you’re growing both autoflowers and photoperiod plants in the same tent, you can still maintain an 18/6 cycle and 12/12 during the flowering period. Initially, maintain an 18/6 or 20/4 light schedule for around 75 days so that autoflowers can mature while keeping photoperiod plants in vegetative their stage. Once the photoperiod plants have reached the desired size, switch to a 12/12 cycle in the tent for flowering. 

If you’re not satisfied with the growth of the photoperiod plants and need more time, you can introduce another batch of autoflowers while maintaining the lighting schedule. Simply shift the photos once they are ready to another tent or continue in the same tent with a 12/12 cycle. Autos do well with 18/6 hours, but this is an option if you don’t have a separate grow tent for the flowering stage. 

You can take this a step further by venturing into cloning. This way, you can have one mother plant in the same tent with other autoflowers. The autoflowers will grow as usual with 18/6 hours of light and the mother plant will also grow well. In this situation, you will need a separate flowering tent to shift the clones but if you don’t want the mother plant anymore, you can switch the light cycle to 12/12 in the same tent when they are ready and let all the plants flower simultaneously. 

As you can see, you can experiment and find out what’s best for you. If you figure it out, you’ll be able to harvest cannabis plants throughout the year, guaranteeing a consistent supply. 

Tips for Perpetual Harvest

You can never learn enough about growing cannabis with any method, and the same applies to perpetual harvest. So, here are some tips to help you never run out of weed:

1. Sequential Planting: Divide your growing area into zones or sections. Regularly plant new batches of seeds or clones in each zone. This sequential method allows for a cycle of plants at various growth stages while supporting an ongoing harvest process. Aim for consistency over anything else — this is the secret to an endless supply of weed. 
2. Batch Planting: Group plants into batches based on their growth phase and stagger the planting times to have overlapping batches. For instance, as one batch starts flowering you can begin a new batch in the vegetative stage to ensure a constant flow of plants progressing in their growth cycles.
3. Variety: Initially, only start with a single strain so you don’t end up with conflicting strains. Later, opt for a variety of cannabis strains with varying flowering times so you can harvest consistently without any gaps. You won’t have to allocate too much space and the grow tent will never be empty either. 
4. Cloning: Practice the art of cloning and regularly introduce clones into the grow tent to make sure there’s a steady stream of genetically identical plants. One disadvantage of a perpetual harvest is that you’ll have to spend a lot of money on seeds. With clones, however, you can produce as many plants as you want without spending too much. If you have a tent dedicated only to flowering plants, you can maintain a mother plant in the vegetative stage for as long as you want. 
5. Maintenance: Closely monitor the progress of your plants at each growth stage. Make adjustments to planting schedules if necessary. Most importantly, maintain records of planting dates, growth rates, and yields to help you continue the same process every time and also improve the efficiency of your perpetual harvest setup.

Summary: How to Never Run Out of Weed: A Guide To Set Up Perpetual Harvests

Suddenly, having an endless supply of weed doesn’t seem so difficult, does it? Yes, you’ll spend some money on this setup, and yes, this will take more of your time, but if you get your rhythm right, you will never go back.

Perpetual harvest is an ingenious method of growing cannabis, where you never run out of weed. Sometimes, it can also have other benefits, like giving your crop a safety net in case something goes wrong and making you a better grower.