Cannabis growers have access to more cultivation data than ever before. The challenge is knowing what those numbers mean at each stage of the crop cycle.

In Episode 33 of the GroShow Podcast, Grodan Crop Specialists Anders Peterson and Jon Jirikovec join Eloy van der Harst, User Experience Lead at Grodan, to introduce Grodan’s new 5-Phase Model for cannabis cultivation in large blocks using a one-transplant system and discuss the thinking behind the framework.

Rather than providing another fixed recipe, the 5-Phase Model gives growers a structured way to look at the crop as it moves through five distinct phases: Propagation of Cuttings, Vegetative Growth, Flower Setting, Flower Swelling and Bulking, and Flower Ripening and Peak Cannabinoid Accumulation.

Each phase connects plant development with root-zone targets, canopy priorities and crop-steering guidance, helping growers better understand not only what they are seeing in the data, but how it relates to what they are trying to accomplish with the crop.

Throughout the episode, Anders, Jon, and Eloy explain why that context matters when interpreting root-zone data. Measurements like water content, EC and dry-back can provide valuable insight into the crop, but the same number can mean something very different depending on the phase of development and what the grower is trying to accomplish.

Instead of asking whether a number is simply good or bad, the model helps growers look at whether their irrigation and root-zone strategy are aligned with the objectives of the crop at that point in the cycle.

The thinking behind the model also builds on Grodan’s decades of experience in professional vegetable cultivation, where phase-based approaches have long been used to connect plant development with irrigation, climate and root-zone management. Cannabis has different physiological needs and production goals, so that philosophy was adapted specifically for the crop.

The conversation also gets into how the 5-Phase Model connects with GroSens Suite. Phase-specific guidance is integrated into the platform alongside the root-zone data growers are already monitoring, helping put measurements like water content, EC, dry-back and drain into context.

But the goal isn’t to replace grower experience. Walking the crop, understanding plant response and adapting strategies to different cultivars and facilities remain essential. Instead, the model provides a common framework that can support crop steering, planning and training while helping cultivation teams bring more structure and consistency to their decision-making.

What ties the conversation together is a simple idea: data becomes more useful when growers understand the context behind it.

The initial release of the Grodan 5-Phase Model in Large Blocks is designed for a one-transplant system, with guidance for two-transplant systems to follow.

For cultivators interested in cannabis crop steering, root-zone management, irrigation strategy and GroSens Suite, this episode offers a practical introduction to the 5-Phase Model and how it can help turn crop data into more informed decisions.

Listen to the full episode below: