The honest answer: a typical indoor home-grown cannabis plant yields 4–16 ounces (112–450 g) of dried flower, and a healthy outdoor plant in full sun can exceed a pound — sometimes far more. The range is wide because yield is a function of light, pot size, training, and veg time, not luck. This guide gives realistic numbers per setup, then answers the question that matters more than most growers expect: what to do with all of it.
Realistic yield by setup
| Setup | Typical dried yield per plant |
|---|---|
| Small tent, 100–150W LED, autoflower | 1–4 oz |
| 2x4 tent, 250–300W LED, photoperiod | 4–8 oz |
| 4x4 tent, 450–650W LED, trained plant | 8–16 oz |
| Outdoor, full season, large container or ground | 1–3+ lb |
Rule of thumb: well-run LED grows return roughly 1 gram of dried flower per watt of quality light, divided among the plants in the footprint. Wet weight is misleading — flower loses about 75–80% of its mass during drying, so 1,000 g wet becomes roughly 200–250 g dried.
What actually drives yield
Light intensity is the single biggest factor indoors — most underwhelming harvests trace back to underpowered lights. Veg time sets plant size: every extra week of veg compounds into more bud sites. Training (LST, topping, SCROG) flattens the canopy so more bud sites get full light. Environment — stable temperature and correct humidity by stage — prevents the stress that stunts production. And harvest timing protects the yield you already grew.
The storage problem every successful grower hits
Even a modest 6-ounce harvest is a 4–6 month supply for most consumers. Stored in a zip bag or a dry jar, that flower loses moisture, terpenes, and smoothness within weeks — the last ounce never smokes like the first. The fix is mechanical, not mystical: keep cured flower at 62% relative humidity in an airtight container, and the quality curve flattens for months. The team at ATMOSIScience has measured this repeatedly: flower held at 62% RH with 2-way humidity control retains weight and aroma that uncontrolled jars lose in the first month.
Sizing guide for a typical harvest:
| Harvest size | Recommended storage |
|---|---|
| Up to 8 oz (½ lb) | ruksak™ ½ lb pouch — built-in 2-way 62% RH control, child-resistant |
| 8–16 oz (1 lb) | ruksak™ 1 lb pouch |
| Jars you already own | Humidi-Cure® 62% packs, one per quart jar |
Grew it right? Store it right.
ruksak™ holds a full pound of home-grown flower at 62% RH automatically — no burping, no drift. Lab-tested by MCR Labs.
Shop ruksak 1 lbShop ruksak ½ lbFAQ
How much does one autoflower yield?
Typically 1–4 oz dried indoors, depending on light and pot size. Large autos under strong light can reach 6 oz.
How much wet weight equals dried weight?
Dried flower is roughly 20–25% of wet weight. 1,000 g at chop becomes about 200–250 g cured.
How long does a stored harvest stay fresh?
At 62% RH in an airtight container, kept cool and dark, flower stays smooth and aromatic for 6–12 months. See long-term storage without losing terpenes.
