Did you know that 68% of US adults support legal cannabis? While more and more people are enjoying the herb, cultivators and dispensaries are busier than ever.
As growers are producing a wide variety of marijuana strains, all cannabis isn’t grown the same. While the growing process can vary, marijuana is either grown indoors or outdoors.
In this post, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of growing marijuana indoors, and we’ll also explain the pros and cons of outdoor-grown cannabis.
Indoor Cannabis
Indoor cannabis can be extremely high quality. However, the process does involve a lot of work. If you can master indoor-grown marijuana, you’ll be producing some of the best flowers known to man.
Let’s take a look at some advantages and disadvantages of this growing process:
Pros
Many growers claim that indoor-grown cannabis is the best method. Here’s why this may be true:
Climate Control
If you can build the proper setup for indoor cannabis, you’ll be able to effectively control the environment. This can allow you to create the ideal conditions for growing the plant. From adding the right amount of light to creating the perfect temperature, the climate control of indoor cannabis is very beneficial. Aside from light and temperature, you can also control ventilation, CO2 levels, and the quality of fertilizers and substrate.
Clean, Hygienic Environment
Indoor-grown cannabis also allows for a cleaner, more hygienic space for growing. While this may not be a huge deal for the average small grower, it’s monumental if you want to grow for medicinal purposes.
Year-Round Growing
Outdoor growth can be great, but the cannabis growing conditions have to be perfect. Also, there’s a good chance those outdoor conditions won’t stay constant for long periods. That’s one of the leading benefits of indoor cannabis—superb conditions at all times. While this can lead to excellent quality, growing indoors also allows for multiple harvests every year. Rather than waiting for the perfect outdoor conditions, indoor growing gives you 6 flowering periods during a 12-month span.
More Suitable for Certain Strains
As we mentioned earlier, there are several different cannabis strains out there. However, not all of them thrive in the same conditions. While one strain may grow perfectly in one environment, another strain may struggle. That said, some strains are more suitable for indoor growing. This is mostly due to the fact that indoor cannabis is monitored more closely. If you ensure the proper indoor growing conditions for a specific strain, you can master the growing process.
Cons
Indoor cannabis can result in beautiful, potent, and high-quality flower. However, there are some disadvantages to consider, which include:
Light Energy
While indoor lighting systems are pretty powerful, they don’t compare to the power of the sun. That said, indoor cannabis can suffer. This is why some growers will produce smaller harvests when growing indoors versus outdoors.
Higher Operational Costs
Another downside of indoor cannabis involves the costs of operation. While outdoor cannabis obviously utilizes the sun, plants grown indoors require a great deal of lighting, which can really drive up those energy bills. Furthermore, you’ll also need a hygrometer to measure humidity, thermometers to gauge temperatures, ventilation systems, and much more.
Outdoor Cannabis
Have you ever thought about growing cannabis out in the natural sunshine? As this growing method is the traditional approach, it can yield some incredible marijuana flower.
Here are the pros and cons of outdoor-grown cannabis:
Pros
While tons of cannabis plants around the world are grown indoors, outdoor growing is still very prevalent. Take a look at some advantages of this method:
Less Energy Consumption
As we talked about earlier, indoor cannabis operations require a great deal of lighting. If you compare that to the all-natural sunlight used in outdoor cannabis, then you can probably see which option sucks up the most energy. Growing outdoor cannabis results in zero artificial lights and 100% natural energy!
Eco-Friendly Practices
In an effort to use fewer resources to produce cannabis, outdoor growing is the way to go. Many cultivators today are focused on lowering their environmental impact, which can certainly be achieved with outdoor growing. Aside from using natural sunlight versus the artificial alternative, outdoor cannabis allows growers to create the most natural conditions possible. Therefore, outdoor growing can produce organic plants made with locally sourced water and natural sunlight.
Plant Health
Plants love natural sunshine. There has to be a reason why millions of plant organisms thrive in a world of natural light. The same goes for cannabis. While indoor growing operations can still produce very healthy plants, outdoor cannabis seems to result in healthier flower. Additionally, some experts say outdoor-grown marijuana has a stronger potency and aroma compared to indoor cannabis.
Cons
While outdoor growing can result in amazing cannabis flower, there are some disadvantages to this method, which include:
Short Season
As outdoor cannabis can result in top-quality buds, outdoor crops can only be harvested once a year on average. While your flower may be exceptional, indoor growing can sometimes result in producing more of it.
Natural Challenges
Another obstacle involves what nature throws at you. As nature is an unpredictable beast, you never know what it has in store. For instance, if your growing location experiences a very wet or dry season, your plants can certainly suffer. You should also consider extreme weather events like fires, random snowstorms, and even tornadoes—all of which can wreak havoc on your crops.
Which Option is Best?
There is no right answer to this question—it’s all about your personal preference. However, it does depend on what cannabis growing conditions you can produce. In climates where outdoor growing isn’t possible, you know which option is best. But if you’re somewhere with an ideal outdoor climate, taking advantage of your surroundings could be the smart move.
Whether grown indoors or outdoors, both growing methods can produce cannabis of the highest quality.
*FAQs:
Is indoor cannabis better quality than outdoor cannabis?
Both growing methods can produce cannabis with exceptional quality. However, since some strains grow better in specific environments, the growing conditions are essential.
What are the benefits of indoor-grown cannabis?
Indoor cannabis allows growers to choose the ideal climate for their crops, which allows for year-round growing. Some specific strains also thrive in a controlled environment.