Indoor vs Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation - Which is Better?

 This is the big question, especially for new marijuana growers.

For centuries, people grew marijuana outdoors until the prohibition forced them to hide their plants indoors.

But, medical marijuana legalization changed everything. Today, many US states allow people to grow marijuana for personal use. Each state has its own regulations for growers. For instance, an MMJ grower’s license in Santa Clara allows you to grow 99 plants at home.

Coming back to the question, the answer is—it depends. Different growers have their own preferences, requirements, etc.

In this post, we are going to discuss different aspects associated with both indoor and outdoor cultivation so that you can choose what makes more sense to you.

Environmental Considerations

The main difference between indoor and outdoor marijuana cultivation is the grow environment.

Plants need the sun to thrive. When you grow cannabis outdoors, the endless supply of sunlight helps the plants to grow healthy. Moreover, ladybugs and other natural predators help prevent mites.

On the other hand, the weather doesn’t matter when you are growing cannabis indoors. You can always adjust the indoor temperature, CO2 levels, etc. based on your plants’ needs.

Moreover, you are able to reduce the risks of infestation. You can have complete control over what comes to your grow space.

Additionally, your living situation matters. If you are worried about neighbors filing a complaint against you, indoors would definitely make more sense. 

What are the cons?

The major downsides of outdoor cultivation are heatwaves, drought, and pest infestation. You can’t control a bad storm destroying your plants.

When growing cannabis plants indoors, you are responsible for taking care of everything your plants need. This includes water, fertilizer, light, etc.

Overall Cost

This is another major distinguishing factor. The best part of growing cannabis outdoors is the sunlight. It needs far less investment. Free sunlight and soil can help you save more dollars.

Opting to move indoors allows you to produce bigger yields. Although outdoor growing seems like a cost-effective option, you might not get the same impressive returns as with indoor grows.

The major concern related to outdoor growing is that it’s hard to optimize light according to specific crop needs.

In the case of growing cannabis indoors, you need to invest in LED grow lights, temperature controls, etc. Thus, setting up an indoor growing facility can cost you more.

Quality of Marijuana

When you are growing cannabis for medical purposes, the quality of buds matters. The sun delivers full-spectrum light, and many experts think it’s the best environment for marijuana plants to flourish.

Indoor growing allows you to produce dense buds with rich trichomes and cannabinoid contents. By utilizing the latest technology, you can produce high-potency marijuana that is perfect for your medical condition.

In the case of outdoor growing, the weather is the major issue. Since your plants are directly exposed to natural elements, the potency and overall quality of the buds are more likely to get affected.

The only con of indoor growing is that it may take some time to set up an ideal grow environment.

So, these are some major aspects related to indoor and outdoor growing. How you approach cannabis cultivation at home will depend on your budget, quality of buds, etc.

If you want to grow medical marijuana legally at home, you need an MMJ grower’s license in Santa Clara. Visit Santa Clara 420 Healing to apply for your medical marijuana grower’s license online in just 10 minutes. Fill a form online and see a licensed doctor via video call. If approved, you will get your grower’s license in PDF format via email.