Indoor vs Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation: Pros, Cons, and Best Practices

As ongoing studies show that cannabis can help with mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and sleeping problems- it has been used for medicinal and recreational purposes for thousands of years. With legalization in North or South America, it is grown in households and for commercial purposes. But a debate has begun about where to grow cannabis- indoor vs outdoor cannabis cultivation.

Outdoor growers have been fighting indoor growers’ ideologies for decades. But the reality is- that both have pros and cons, like in indoors you get the freedom of control, outdoors you get free soil and light, and with greenhouses- you have both options.

But with commercialization, where companies are doing business, it is more about making money. Well, it depends on your choices, budget, scale, etc. There is no specific answer to this question, but we can help you choose! But before we proceed, know what they are!

Table of Contents

Indoor vs. Outdoor vs. Greenhouse Cultivation: The Primary Difference

After the Cannabis Legalization Act of 2018, Farm Bill, Canada legalized cannabis for commercial and medicinal purposes.

Business owners must acquire cultivation licenses state-by-state and decide what strain they are growing in what kind of environment, however, the production is controlled by the federal government.

Hundreds of cannabis strains have different CBD and terpene levels and have varied effects depending on THC, including hallucination, relaxation, motivation, and focus. How the plant cultivates makes a big difference in this case.

If we compare the same strains grown in different environments, there would be a visible difference- so let us see how the growing environment affects cannabis.

1. Appearance of Outdoor Cannabis Plants

Outdoor and Indoor cannabis buds look different, and here is the proof! The main features are dark leaves, loose flowers, large buds, low trichome density, and thick stems.

2. Appearance of Indoor Cannabis Plants

When it comes to indoor-grown cannabis, the environment is more controlled, so they appear different, like bright colored, tight and dense buds, high trichome density, and thin stems.

3. Appearance of Greenhouse Cannabis Plants

Greenhouse-cultivated cannabis has a healthy appearance, including even growth, high yield, fast growth, potent buds, high THC content, and uniformity.

The Importance of Trichomes in Outdoor vs Indoor Cannabis Cultivation

Trichomes are microscopic, hair-like outgrowths that cover the flowers and leaves of cannabis plants. They are tiny and look like frost on mature buds. These trichomes are the powerhouses of cannabis, playing a crucial role in both outdoor and indoor cultivation.

It acts as a natural defense mechanism for the cannabis plant. The sticky resin deters herbivores from feeding on the leaves and flowers. Additionally, some studies suggest trichomes may offer protection from harsh UV rays outdoors.

Why do Trichomes Matter? The density of trichomes on the buds indicates potency and quality. Generally, buds with a higher concentration of trichomes are considered more potent, with a higher content of cannabinoids and terpenes.

Indoor vs Outdoor Trichomes

Outdoor: Outdoor plants are exposed to light, temperature, and humidity. While this can promote robust trichome production, harsh weather conditions like strong winds or excessive rain can damage trichomes, reducing their density and potentially affecting potency.

Indoor: Indoor growers have more control over the environment, allowing them to optimize light intensity, temperature, and humidity to maximize trichome production. It can lead to buds with a higher density of trichomes and potentially higher potency.

What is Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation?

Outdoor cannabis, also known as outdoor weed or field cannabis, refers to cannabis plants that grow outdoors rather than in controlled indoor environments. These plants typically thrive in warm, temperate climates and receive sunlight directly from the sun.

Advantages of Outdoor Cannabis

Naturally Adapted: Outdoor cannabis strains are specially adapted to grow under the harsh conditions of the outdoors, such as extreme heat, sunlight, and weather fluctuations. It fosters a diverse ecosystem, with various strains adapted to different climates and microclimates.
Large Plants: These plants tend to be larger than indoor plants, reaching heights of up to 20 feet in optimal conditions, and produce resin containing cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary cannabinoids responsible for the medicinal and recreational effects of cannabis.
Greater Yield: The best part is planting and managing cannabis plants in outdoor spaces, such as fields, gardens, or land, is easy and affordable.
Higher THC Content: Outdoor cannabis strains often have higher THC content than indoor strains, making them more potent for recreational use.
Reduced Costs: Outdoor cultivation eliminates the need for expensive grow facilities, reducing operational costs.

Disadvantages of Outdoor Cannabis

Pest Issues: Outdoor plants are susceptible to pests, weather extremes, and other environmental challenges.
Potency: Managing outdoor growth is more challenging than maintaining consistent yields and potency.
Odor issues: Outdoor cannabis cultivation can have environmental impacts, such as water consumption and potential odor issues.

Also, Refer to the Guide to Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation in Canada

What is Indoor Cannabis Cultivation?

Indoor cannabis cultivation is the process of growing cannabis plants indoors, typically in controlled environments such as greenhouses, hydroponics, or aeroponics systems. This method allows growers to cultivate cannabis year-round, regardless of the weather conditions outside.

Advantages of Indoor Cannabis Cultivation

Year-round availability: Indoor cultivation allows for cannabis production regardless of the weather conditions.
Increased yields: Indoor methods produce higher yields than outdoor cultivation.
Faster growth: Plants grown indoors can grow faster, reducing the time to harvest.
Controlled environment: Indoor cannabis cultivation allows precise control over environmental factors such as light, temperature, humidity, and airflow. It can produce significantly higher yields than outdoor cultivation.
Eliminating environmental risks: Indoor cultivation reduces risks of outdoor weather extremes, pests, and diseases.

Disadvantages of Indoor Cannabis Cultivation

High setup and maintenance costs: Setting up and maintaining indoor cannabis cultivation facilities can be expensive.
Limited space: Indoor cultivation can require significant space, especially for larger plants.
Potentially harmful effects: Cannabis can have bad effects on health, including respiratory problems, anxiety, and paranoia.

For your reference: Cannabis Seeds Growing Indoor Guide

What is Greenhouse Cannabis Cultivation?

Greenhouse cannabis cultivation is a type of indoor cannabis cultivation that involves growing plants in a greenhouse structure. Greenhouses provide a controlled environment for cannabis plants and protection from harsh weather conditions and pests.

Pros of Greenhouse Cannabis Cultivation

All-Year Availability: Greenhouses allow for cannabis production regardless of the weather conditions.
Enhanced yields: Greenhouse methods produce higher yields than outdoor cultivation.
Faster growth: Plants grown in greenhouses can grow faster, reducing the time to harvest.
Controlled environment: Provides a controlled environment for optimal plant health and growth.
No risks: Stops risks of extreme weather, pests, and diseases.

Cons of Greenhouse Cannabis Cultivation

High costs: Setting up and maintaining greenhouses can be expensive.
Space problems: Greenhouses can be space-intensive, particularly for large plants.
Potentially harmful effects: Cannabis can affect health, including respiratory problems, anxiety, and paranoia.

Let’s learn about where to grow Cannabis- Indoor or Outdoor through a tabular representation:

Feature	Indoor	Outdoor
Control	High	Low
Quality	Potentially high potency and consistent quality	Can offer more natural flavour and terpenes
Yield	Potentially higher yield per square footage	Lower yield potential
Investment	High	Low
Sustainability	Higher energy use	Less energy consumption
Seasonality	Year-round	Limited to growing season (summer)
Risk	Controlled environment	Vulnerable to weather & pests

Also, Refer to Advanced Guide for Growing Cannabis in Canada

What are the Environmental Impacts of Indoor vs Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation?

Both indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivation have environmental impacts, but they differ significantly. Here’s a breakdown:

Indoor Cultivation

High Energy Consumption: Indoor facilities require significant electricity to power lighting systems (often high-intensity discharge lamps or LEDs), ventilation, air conditioning, and dehumidification. It can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, especially if the energy source is fossil fuel-based.
Water Usage: While not as water-intensive as outdoor cultivation, indoor facilities still require water for irrigation and maintaining humidity levels.
Waste Generation: Indoor cultivation generates waste products like used bulbs, filters, and nutrients that require proper disposal.

Outdoor Cultivation

Water Consumption: Cannabis plants are water-intensive, and outdoor cultivation can significantly strain local water resources, especially in arid regions.
Environment Break: Improper outdoor cultivation practices can lead to deforestation, soil erosion, and disruption of natural habitats.
Pesticide Use: Outdoor growers rely on pesticides to manage pests and diseases. Improper use of pesticides can contaminate water sources and harm beneficial insects.
Potential for Invasive Species: Some cannabis strains, if not managed properly, can become invasive and disrupt local ecosystems.

How to minimize the Environmental Impact?

For Outdoors: Utilize sustainable practices like rainwater harvesting, organic pest control, and proper strain selection to minimize water usage, habitat disruption, and potential invasive species issues.

For Indoors: Implement energy-efficient lighting systems (like LEDs), explore renewable energy sources, and adopt water conservation techniques to reduce the environmental impact.

The Future of Sustainable Cannabis Cultivation

The cannabis industry focuses on developing sustainable cultivation practices. It includes advancements in:

Energy-efficient lighting and climate control technologies.
Water conservation techniques like drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting.
Organic pest control methods.

By adopting these practices, indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivation can become more environmentally responsible.

Other Factors That Impact Your Decision Towards Indoors and Outdoor Cannabis Growing are

Strain Selection: Some cannabis strains like Northern Lights, Afgan Kush, Purple Kush, etc., are best for indoor growth, while Lemon Kush, Super Critical, etc., are best for outdoor growth while hybrid, fast version seeds, and auto-flowering seeds are adaptable and can be grown in any environment.

Security: Growing cannabis needs proper attention towards trespassing and theft, installing security cameras, and opting for odor control methods.

Legality: It depends on where you live- cannabis laws are different for every province in Canada. You may require a license or a permit to grow cannabis at home.

Personal Choice: It’s your choice whether you grow cannabis outdoors or indoors and what you want. But whatever the case is, whatever mode you pick for growing cannabis, remember you need to take care of your plants are for that you need:

Proper lights
Proper watering
Proper nutrients

What Cannabis Strains can you grow in Canada- Outdoors and Indoors?

Here are a few strains that you can grow indoors and outdoors in Canada that showcase the differences in appearance, flavor, and potency between the two cultivation methods:

1. Northern Lights Auto Cannabis Seeds (Indoor)

Suitable for indoor cultivation, Northern Lights Auto Cannabis Seeds produces short (2-4 feet) and bushy indicas with frosty buds and sweet earthy flavors. Easy for beginners, contains 14-18% THC content, ideal for medical and recreational use, and can be harvested all seasons.

2. Bruce Banner Regular Cannabis Seeds (Outdoor)

Bruce Banner is an outdoor Sativa genre, a tall and slender plant with large, leafy leaves and heavy buds. It has a sweet, fruity, and earthy notes. Recommended for advanced growers as it contains high 25-32% THC content, it is hard, really hard, and works fast.

3. Blueberry Yum Yum Auto Cannabis Strain (Indoor)

Blueberry Yum Yum is a hybrid plant best for indoors, containing a compact and bushy appearance with thick, resinous buds. It has a fruity flavor with 15% THC and is apt for beginners.

4. GodFather OG Feminized Seeds (Outdoor)

Godfather OG is a string and sedating bushy indica with lemon-shaped leaves and large buds. The flavor is spicy, cushy, and grape-like. It has 20-25% THC, hence apt for advanced growers only.

5. CB Dream Strain Cannabis Seeds (Indoor)

CB Dream is a short and bushy indica with 6% THC. Ideal for beginners, it has a subtle earthy, smoky taste. You can grow them indoors or outdoors, as they are easy to grow with great adaptability.

What do people prefer most? All the strains mentioned above are great for indoors and outdoors. These are just a few examples- you can buy sativa, indica, hybrid, feminized, autoflowering, and fast-version seeds suitable for Canada.

How to make Outdoor Cannabis look like Indoors?

While there’s no guaranteed way to make outdoor cannabis look exactly like indoor, here are some strategies to achieve a similar appearance and potentially enhance the quality of your outdoor harvest:

Optimize Trichome Production: During the flowering stage consider implementing a light deprivation technique to mimic the shorter days. It can initiate increased trichome production for a frostier appearance, boosting potency. You can achieve this by covering your plants with a light-proof cover for a specific period at night. Research the optimal light deprivation schedule for your region and strain.

Protecting Your Cannabis from the Harmful Elements in the Environment

It is important to protect the cannabis from harmful elements present in the environment for a better growth:

Add Row Covers: Utilize row covers made from breathable fabric to shield your plants from harsh sunlight, excessive rain, and strong winds. It can help minimize damage to trichomes and improve their density.
Do Pest Management: Implement an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy to prevent pests that can damage trichomes and flowers. It may involve natural harpies, organic pesticides, or planting techniques.
Controlled Environment: Dry and cure your cannabis buds in a controlled environment with consistent temperatures (around 60°F) and humidity (around 60%). This process preserves the quality of the trichomes, promoting a more potent and flavorful end product.
Trimming: Carefully trim your buds to remove excess leaves and stems. It enhances the visual appeal and concentrates the trichomes on the most potent flower parts.

Indoor vs. Outdoors: Where does Cannabis grow best?

Thinking, which produces better cannabis in the Canadian climate? If it’s about Canada, it is better to go with indoor cannabis cultivation for better smoky yields as they are grown in controlled environments- they tend to have more uniform flavor profiles.

Outdoor plants may have more varied flavor profiles due to environmental factors and distinct terpene profiles. Also, Indoor cultivation can produce plants with higher THC content than outdoor cultivation, as the controlled environment allows for precise control over environmental factors that influence THC production.

What is the best climate for indoor cannabis? So, the answer is that Indoor cannabis thrives in a climate carefully crafted to mimic its ideal outdoor environment. The temperature should range from 65-80°F during the day and dip slightly at night.

Humidity levels need to be adjusted throughout the growth cycle, with higher levels for seedlings and clones, and lower levels for flowering plants. Strong light is crucial, achieved with special HID or LED fixtures.

Air circulation is vital to prevent mold, so exhaust and intake fans are essential. Adding CO2 can boost growth but is optional for beginners. By providing this controlled environment, you can create an indoor haven for your cannabis to flourish.

What do experts say?

Why settle for one? Try both! The best cannabis cultivation method for a particular grower depends on their circumstances and goals.

An indoor cultivation facility may be more suitable if high yields and consistency (smokable flowers) are desired. For those with limited space or prefer a more natural approach- outdoor cultivation is a better option.

And there is a third option too- the Greenhouse and polytunnels approach for protection and climate control. However, glass filters UVB radiation, so one does not get everything as you say. One thing is assured, to get high-quality dense yields by buying seeds from a reputable seed bank in Canada and taking proper care of growing cannabis. Bingo!

FAQs

Let’s study the frequently asked questions on indoor vs outdoor cannabis cultivation:

1. Will growing cannabis harm my other plants?

No, cannabis has different light and nutrient needs than many houseplants. It’s unlikely to harm them, but it could compete for resources. If you have a dedicated grow space, there is no issue.

2. I live in a rental house, can I grow cannabis in Canada?

Federal law allows it, but your landlord may have rules against cannabis cultivation in their lease agreement. Always check your lease and get written permission from your landlord before growing.

3. What is the future of Canadian outdoor and indoor cannabis cultivation?

The legal cannabis market is still evolving in Canada. Regulations on home cultivation may change, and commercial production is constantly growing. New technologies for efficient indoor and outdoor cultivation are likely to emerge.

4. What is the average yield of cannabis plants grown indoors and outdoors in Canada?

Indoor plants typically produce higher yields than outdoor plants, around 1-2 ounces per square foot. Outdoor plants yield less, averaging around 0.5-1 ounce per plant.

5. What is the average cost of cultivating cannabis in Canada?

The cost of cultivating cannabis in Canada varies based on factors such as location, size of operation, and equipment. Indoor cultivation is generally more expensive than outdoor cultivation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as cannabis gains recognition for its potential benefits in mental health treatment, its cultivation has become a subject of debate, particularly regarding the choice between indoor and outdoor environments. While both methods have their merits and drawbacks, understanding the nuances of each is essential. Indoor cultivation offers control and consistency but comes with higher costs and energy consumption. On the other hand, outdoor cultivation leverages natural resources and may yield larger plants but is susceptible to environmental factors and regulatory constraints.

Whether opting for indoor, outdoor, or greenhouse cultivation, the key is to prioritize sustainability, quality, and responsible stewardship of the environment. As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, innovation and advancements in cultivation techniques will shape its future, paving the way for a more sustainable and equitable cannabis landscape in Canada and beyond.