Growing Cannabis Indoors vs Growing Cannabis Outdoors

Growing cannabis is hugely rewarding, whether you decide to grow indoors, or grow outdoors, the pleasure of caring for a plant and watching it develop from your hard work makes it truly an enlightening experience. Of course, to grow cannabis outdoors it is advisable to first make sure that you legally do this.

Outdoor growing

Outdoor growing has been done for thousands of years of course and requires some fundamental elements for success.

One of the biggest requirements for successful growth depends on where you live in the world and what the seasons are like. As cannabis is an annual plant, which means it’s a plant that completes its life cycle in one growing season, then dies, it’s important to plan the grow to maximize your yield.

When growing outdoors, seeds need to be planted in the spring, the plant can then be harvested in late summer/Autumn when the daylight hours are shorter. (Depending on your global location of course). When Plants are grown this way, maximizing the season can bring amazing results. 

In California for example, It is not uncommon for plants to resemble trees in their stature before they are harvested.

Plants grown outdoors will of course encounter the natural elements, sun rain, wind, and insects. Outdoor-grown cannabis buds (once harvested) normally have a slightly darker and less dense appearance than cannabis grown indoors. 

The flavour of outdoor-grown cannabis is also richer, deeper, and smoother.

Plants can resemble trees under the right conditions

Growing indoors

Indoor growing is very popular, especially when the climate of your country does not suit growing outdoors. Or you wish to grow inside for other reasons.

Growing cannabis indoors unlike growing outdoors has many requirements for a successful crop. To grow cannabis indoors successfully you need to create the right environment. Lighting, Airflow, Temperature, and Nutrition all need to be addressed. It is recommended to use a Grow tent (small scale) or a specially adapted room.

Special lighting is required that can replicate the sun. These lights can be expensive to buy as well as run. In recent years LED lights have become a popular alternative compared to more traditional HPS lights, benefitting from a broader light spectrum range, lower power consumption, and lower heat output.

Air quality is also a very important factor in producing good quality plants, In an outdoor environment, this is never an issue as your plants have all the fresh air they could possibly need, however growing indoors, your plants will need plenty of fresh air for them to thrive and grow correctly.

Many indoor grow rooms (and grow tents) use inline fan systems connected to carbon filters. The air pumped into the growing area is normally taken from an outside environment. Similarly, the air pumped out of the grow room (or tent) is also sent outside, this air is normally passed through a carbon filtration system to remove the smell of the flowering cannabis.

Cannabis plants also require a good temperature to grow, temperature values need to be consistent in the day and the temperature can be slightly less at night.

When growing indoors, it is important to decide what medium you are going to use to grow your cannabis in. The 3 main most common options to use are soil, Coco Coir, or hydroponics.

All of these options require the same thing… nutrition for the plants.