by Rick Rainbolt
Perpetual Cannabinoid Grow Operations
Perpetual Revenue Grow operations, also known as Symbiotic Rotation Processes is vital to CRAFT top-cut organic grow operations.
Defining the Perpetual Revenue System
When I first began helping farmers and cultivators set up their craft top-cut organic grow operations, I quickly understood the benefits of having a small indoor facility and light-dep greenhouse, to consistently grow high-quality hemp and cannabis. Perpetual systems go against the conventional “plant, grow, harvest” mentality that keeps these operations from realizing enhanced margins.
HGI’s perpetual system combines the indoor and light-dep greenhouse facilities to produce material that can be periodically harvested throughout the year, breaking the constraints of the isolated systems we were accustomed to. HGI’s perpetual model makes it much easier for new and experienced growers alike to get “Up, Going, and Growing” with as little hassle and startup capital as possible, generating revenue quickly with proper implementation and calibration.
This system is meant to take the guesswork and complication out of producing consistent, high-quality flower that realizes VALUE and QUALITY well beyond the average outdoor cultivated cannabis plant. The Perpetual Revenue System creates a rotational staging process with coordinated schedules, calibrated by strain in conjunction with light-deprivation technology. Our goal was to radically reduce waste, enhance yield, and produce healthy, happy, valuable plants.
In the simplest form, perpetual revenue is the practice of having all stages
of your plants ready for rotation, at the exact time the schedule calls for.
Time and Experience
Conceptually, the Perpetual Revenue operations may be simple to understand, but relatively difficult to execute without establishing a plan of action. As we know, growing hemp can be a complicated process, and learning perpetual growing takes time and experience to master the process. Hemp Geo Institute recommends prior to undertaking indoor and light-dep greenhouse growing endeavors, to please locate educational and consultative guides with significant experience growing hemp for cannabinoids prior to starting a rotational system of your own.
Know Your Cultivar
It is vital to understand as much as you can about the strain(s) of hemp/cannabis you choose to cultivate. What are the parameters, behaviors, ideal grow environment, soil and nutrient profile for the cultivar, as well as your level of growing expertise?
It takes time to learn and experiment with various solutions prior to spending valuable startup capital establishing this type of system. For example, there is a significant difference between growing Indica strains compared with Sativa or Indica/Sativa hybrids. Indica and Indica/Sativa hybrids are well-suited for perpetual grow operations.
Rotation Schedule
Please keep in mind that the fewer days within the rotation schedule, the more intense the operation becomes as a result. As an example, a 90-day rotation flow is much easier to manage than a 60-day flow. A few of our experienced partners on the West Coast have a weekly rotation, harvesting every single week.
Perpetual Rotation
Once seedlings have rooted and “up-pot” (moved from a smaller to a larger pot to accommodate the root system) to 1-gal. pots after approximately two weeks, then up-potted to 5-gallon ‘oxy’ air pots and move to the appropriate location within the grow operation. At this point, you may have three rows of 40 veg plants.
From the day of the first harvest, the next level of flowering plants must be ready. Vegetative plants must be ready to install in the flowering room, and your seedlings must be ready to be moved to the vegetative room.
After each cycle, the decontamination of the seedling room should take place to prepare for the next round. We suggest cleaning both facilities every 30 days to maintain a hygienical environment. Further, it’s vital that every square foot is utilized in your indoor and light-dep greenhouse facility. Empty space is like burning money.
The challenge is having plants prepared for each phase. The timing, as we’ve discussed, is especially important and why some call this concept “symbiotic rotation,” referring to the timing and experience required to master this process due to the variables manipulated simultaneously. If not timed properly, the system can fail and thus valuable assets to your operation are lost.
80-Pound Production Capacity Per Cycle
• 1,200 sq.ft. Indoor Seedling, Vegetative (“Veg”) and Drying facility
• 3,000 sq.ft. Light-Deprivation Greenhouse facility
1. Seedling Start Room/Area (Indoor)
2. Drying Room (Indoor)
3. Curing Room (Indoor)
4. Small Vegetative Area (Indoor)
5. Medium Vegetative Area (Indoor)
Medium vegetative plants are rotated to the light-dep greenhouse
Regardless of where we are in the rotation, catering to each plant’s health is the first priority.
Secondary is maximizing the plant’s full potential in terms of cannabinoids and potency.
Flower Weight Per Plant
This is always one of the first question’s ask when talking about perpetual grow cycles. Weight per plant will depend on your specific perpetual operation. As an example; if you have limited facility space and want to increase the number of cycles per year, your weight-per-plant will be lower.
This means you will have to flip your veg plants to the flower cycle at a younger and “smaller” phase. We have seen perpetual operations that the grower is just fine with ¼lb flower weight. They flip the veg plants at a very small phase.
I like to use ½ lb. to ¾ lb. of flower per plant as an overall average. Experienced growers implementing successful calibration methods have realized higher flower weight per plant.
Plan and Schedule
HGI has identified approximately 30-steps to successfully implementing a perpetual revenue grow operation. Plan documentation is vital to success. The actual number of steps varies by grower; however, this system will produce high-quality products and revenues into perpetuity when implemented properly. Attention to detail is crucial when undergoing this growing method, as one wrong move can disrupt the entire system and set a grower back several cycles.
HGI recommends for new growers for the first year of operation, to begin with, one harvest cycle per 4-months. Once you have the experience, begin condensing the cycles. As an example the growers second year they may condense to one harvest cycle every 3-months.
Thank you,
Rick Rainbolt
President
Hemp Geo Institute
Call/Text: 704-965-8935
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HempGeoInstitute
PS: Quote of the Day...
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live”
-- Jim Rohn
