On a previous post we wrote about growing cannabis outdoors. This time, we will give you some useful information about growing cannabis indoors. Growing cannabis indoors is slightly different than growing cannabis in your backyard. Growing cannabis indoors gives you complete control of the whole production process. For instance, if you grow cannabis indoors you can control the room temperature, light and also air circulation.
The control of the whole production process means that you can grow high quality cannabis. In addition, it is a good option if you have a limited space or if you are looking for more privacy.
Pros of Growing Cannabis Indoors
High Quality Weed
When you grow cannabis indoors you can control all aspects of the growing process. In short, controlling the whole production process (light, humidity, air circulation, etc.) will allow you to grow high quality weed.
You Don’t Need a Backyard
If you have a limited space, then growing cannabis indoors is a better option for you. You just need a room to set up your “grow room” with a designated area for your cannabis plants.
More Privacy
Many people still regard cannabis as an illegal drug, which means they can prejudge you for growing cannabis outdoors.
You will not experience this situation if you grow cannabis indoors.
More Weed
When you grow cannabis indoors, your weed doesn’t depend on sun or seasons, which means you can produce cannabis during the whole year. This is known as “perpetual harvest”.
Perpetual harvest is a crop rotation system and you need separate spaces for each stage (clones, vegetative and flowering). This system is a continuous rotation process. When a set of plants are done in the flowering process, you will proceed to replace them with the set of plants in the vegetative process and these plants in the vegetative process will be replaced by clones. In short, perpetual harvest consists of three different stages of cannabis (clones or seedlings, vegetative and flowering).
You will need three separate spaces for perpetual harvest. In addition, you need to control that the light from one space doesn’t affect plants in the other phases. This is because too much light or too little light will affect the plant’s ability to grow. For example, vegetative plants that get too little light will start flowering at an earlier stage. On the other hand, plants in the flowering phase that get too much light can go back to a vegetative state earlier than expected.
Clones/seedlings do not need as much space as cannabis in its vegetative and flowering phase.
When you grow cannabis indoors, you will need enough space for your plants to grow. Bear in mind that in the flowering stage, a cannabis plant can double in size. Moreover, you need enough space for the equipment which includes lights, fans, tents etc.
Smaller but Denser
Indoor buds are smaller but with a higher trichome density. This is caused by two factors: firstly, outdoor buds are bigger and the trichomes have more trouble to cover the whole surface of the bud. Secondly, outdoor buds can be damaged by the elements and hence affect the development of the trichomes.
Cons of Growing Cannabis Indoors
Indoor Cannabis and Cannabinoids
Many sources claim that indoor cannabis has higher concentrations of cannabinoids. However, this is not true. There are experiments of clones where one has been cultivated outdoors and the other one indoors. Results show that outdoor cannabis had higher levels of cannabinoids than indoor cannabis. In other words, the sun helps the plant to develop its true potential.
The same applies to terpenes. Apparently, cannabis grown outside has higher percentage of terpenes than cannabis grown inside. Hence, some sources claim cannabis grown outside is more flavorful and aromatic.
Nonetheless, let’s emphasize that there is not a better method than other. It depends on the climate, latitude, daylight hours etc. For example, if you live in a cold weather, then growing indoors is more suitable than growing cannabis outdoors.
Is It Better Cannabis Grown Outdoors or Indoors?
You can find both high quality cannabis grown indoors and outdoors. Growing cannabis indoors is better to control all aspects that influence the growth of cannabis plants (light, ventilation, space). While some studies proves that cannabis grown outdoors have higher levels of cannabinoids and terpenes. Cannabis grown outdoors is also exposed to the elements that could affect its growth. In short, cannabis grown outdoors is a good option if you grow it in places with a tepid climate.
In addition, you need to consider the costs of growing cannabis indoors. For example, the use of natural lights (sunlight) can save you lots of money. There are both cannabises grown outdoors and indoors of good quality. In conclusion, there is not a better method than other as it depends more on your location, the weather and/or latitude.
An outdoor farm requires less investment than an indoor one. For example, you have natural sources that are completely free (the sun and soil).