A perpetual harvest setup is the holy grail of indoor growing. Instead of harvesting everything at once and waiting months for your next crop, you harvest fresh plants every few weeks while new ones are always growing.
What is Perpetual Harvest?
Perpetual harvest means maintaining a continuous pipeline of plants at different growth stages. When you harvest one plant, another is ready to take its place in the flower tent. Meanwhile, younger plants are growing in veg, waiting for their turn.
The Two-Tent Setup
The most common perpetual setup uses two grow spaces:
- Veg Tent — 18/6 light schedule for vegetative growth
- Flower Tent — 12/12 light schedule to trigger flowering
Plants stay in the veg tent until they’re the right size, then move to the flower tent. When a plant is harvested from flower, another moves in from veg.
Calculate Your Plant Numbers
Use this calculator to find exactly how many plants you need for your perpetual harvest setup:
Different strains have different veg and flowering periods. For precise planning with multiple strains, try Plantegia
Quick Reference
| Flowering Time | Harvest Every | Plants in Flower | Plants in Veg | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | 2 weeks | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 9 weeks | 2 weeks | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 10 weeks | 2 weeks | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 10 weeks | 3 weeks | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Assuming 4-week veg period. Adjust based on your grow style.
The Timeline View
Here’s what a perpetual harvest looks like over time. Each row is a plant, showing its journey from seedling to harvest:
Notice how plants are staggered — when GG-1 is harvested, GG-2 is already deep into flowering, and GG-3 is ready to flip.
Common Mistakes
1. Not Planning for Ramp-Up
It takes time to fill your perpetual pipeline. Don’t expect continuous harvests on day one. Plan for a 2-3 month ramp-up period before you’re harvesting consistently.
2. Mismatched Tent Sizes
Your veg tent size should match your plant count. If you need 2 plants in veg at all times, don’t use a huge veg tent — it wastes electricity.
3. Inconsistent Timing
The key to perpetual harvest is consistency. Start new plants on the same schedule, flip to flower on time, and your harvests will be predictable.
4. Different Flowering Times
Mixing strains with different flowering times complicates scheduling. Stick to strains with similar flowering periods, or plan for flexibility.
Sizing Your Veg vs Flower Tent
| Harvest Frequency | Veg Tent | Flower Tent |
|---|---|---|
| Every 2 weeks | Small (2-3 plants) | Large (4-5 plants) |
| Every 1 week | Medium (4-5 plants) | XL (8-10 plants) |
The flower tent is always bigger because plants spend more time there.
Tips for Success
- Track everything — Use a planning tool or spreadsheet to track plant dates
- Label your plants — Name them so you can tell them apart
- Start small — Begin with 4-6 plants before scaling up
- Same strain first — Master perpetual with one strain before mixing
- Plan for clones — Taking clones keeps genetics consistent
Ready to Plan Your Perpetual Setup?
Planning a perpetual harvest by hand can be complex. That’s why we built Plantegia — a visual planning tool that shows your entire grow operation across space and time.
See exactly where each plant is, when it moves, and when you’ll harvest — all in one view.