Indoor vs. Outdoor Grows: Why Growing Outdoors Is Superior, If You Have The Space
Growing your own weed offers a wide range of benefits for medical and recreational users, though the most common reason people do so is for the cost savings.
After all, cultivating marijuana at home significantly decreases the costs associated with buying weed from a licensed dispensary. That said, there is an initial investment involved, primarily for the equipment you’ll need to grow weed. Then over time, the cost per harvest reduces, making it a wonderfully affordable option for consumers – especially those who consume in large amounts.
In addition, home cultivation gives growers full access to safety and quality control, the ability to grow your preferred strains, the luxury of experimenting with different growing techniques, and a rewarding hobby among others.
But for many wannabe home growers, the question remains: are indoor or outdoor grows best?
Indoor vs. Outdoor Grows
The ability to choose from either growing weed indoors or outdoors is a luxury! Many don’t have access to both choices, but for those, the decision will ultimately come from your resources, local environment, and priorities.
And for those who can choose, there’s no doubt that growing weed outdoors is superior to growing weed indoors.
Here’s why:
Marijuana Naturally Thrives Outdoors
Cannabis has been around for approximately 12,000 years – or even more. We have historical proof of cannabis’ use in ancient times, by ancient civilizations. Back then, no one had those fancy grow rooms with LED lights! People just grew marijuana the natural way: outdoors. That said, not all “outdoor” environments are suitable for weed – it won’t grow well in all kinds of climates.
But in the right type of climate, natural sun exposure and better space for cannabis roots to grow can all result in a truly fulfilling yield. In fact, growers can look forward to much larger yields thanks to virtually unlimited canopy and root space, whereas indoor grows would significantly restrict the size of yields.
Northern latitudes aren’t very friendly to cannabis cultivation, due to rainy weather and short growing seasons. If you live in these locations, you’ll have to make do with cannabis seeds that are blessed with fast-flowering genes, though they do yield much less – or resort to growing indoors. You can also opt for autoflowering seeds.
On the other hand, if you’re lucky enough to be living in southern latitudes, make the most out of your outdoor environment!
Sunlight = Flavor and Potency
Exposure to the right amounts of natural sunlight promotes health and well-being for most living things on earth, including marijuana plants. The full spectrum of the sun allows growers to maximize cannabinoid and terpene production while also improving potency.
There’s also another major benefit here: saving on energy costs. For indoor cannabis growers, energy expenditures can be extremely expensive! Most of this is due to the costs incurred by lighting and climate control, since one needs to factor in lighting as well as cooling, heating, and the various environmental controls that help make indoor environments suitable for cannabis plants to grow well. Cannabis grow lights are notoriously high energy consumers, as well as HVAC systems and dehumidifiers. Put it all together and that can wreak havoc on your bank account!
Additionally, sun-grown weed is heralded for its unique potency and five-star quality, all of which can be enhanced with excellent cultivation techniques and the best environment possible. It’s also well-known that sun-grown pot can reach sky-high THC levels, often surpassing those of indoor grows.
Lower Costs vs. Indoor Grows
Aside from saving significantly from energy costs, growing weed outdoors can also cut down expenses incurred by various growing equipment and infrastructure that are commonly used in indoors grows. You no longer need to spend for electricity, artificial lights, ventilation systems, and climate control. Of course, different growers can have their own preferences when it comes to cultivation techniques. One can take a minimalist approach especially if you live in a location with the perfect climate for marijuana growing, though others have more money to spend and thus like to invest in tools such as greenhouses, irrigation systems, and the like – though they aren’t completely necessary.
Given that you already have the ideal environment and healthy seeds, you can very well grow lots of healthy weed just with some seeds, cardboard sheets, and compost. You can also take advantage of companion plants to naturally deal with pests while increasing the overall biodiversity of your garden.
There is a caveat here, though: cultivating marijuana outdoors puts your plants at greater risk of diseases and pests. It’s important to take extra care with natural pest prevention to avoid damaging your crops, which is a painful and expensive lesson.
When Can Indoor Cultivation Be Better Than Outdoors?
There are some situations wherein growing pot indoors could be better.
These include:
- Using cannabis strains that can only grow with particular light cycles, humidity levels, or temperature ranges
- Preference to grow weed throughout the year
- Discretion, since indoor cultivation is less conspicuous and stealthier
Conclusion
Growing weed outdoors provides significant benefits for cannabis enthusiasts as well as medical marijuana patients. It’s more cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, and results in much larger yields with potent, flavorful buds – all thanks to the spectrum of natural sunlight and environmental factors. In contrast, indoor growth might be better for individuals who live in northern latitudes and who require control over their environment and production.
Regardless of how you choose to grow your own marijuana, it’s a fruitful and rewarding endeavor. Just avoid making these beginner mistakes!
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