Marijuana can be grown indoors or outdoors, depending on preferences and local regulations. Indoor cultivation may be more expensive to get started, but it can provide a number of benefits. Those who try to grow inside will find they can get bigger yields, ensure everything is perfect for getting more consistent qualities and much more. If you are on the fence about whether to grow indoors or outdoors, read through this article to see some of the advantages of indoor marijuana growing from California to New York.
Control Over Everything
Indoor growing means there is more control over everything. Indoors, there is no sunlight or rain. There is no soil ready to be used, no natural fertilizers, and no way to naturally pollinate the plants if that is desired. Instead, everything is controlled by the grower. They will need to decide what substrate to use for the plants, what containers to put them in, and where the plants will stay while they’re growing. They will also have control over the lights used, when it is daytime or nighttime for the plants, how often they are watered, how frequently nutrients are added to the soil, and more.
It can be a little more costly to start an indoor growing area, but the result is perfect climate control for the plants. It is possible to minimize the cost setup, but the grower still has full control over everything. This means there is no worry about too much sunlight, not getting enough light, the temperature being too cold or too hot, or whether or not it is going to rain. Even if it pours outside, there is no need to worry about the marijuana plants being overwatered because they are safely inside where the water they receive can be measured to ensure it is exactly right.
Experiment with Different Methods
It is possible to experiment a little bit outside, but there is no real way to easily control the light, water, soil, and more. Indoors, however, it is easier to experiment while growing marijuana. Those who grow indoors are able to see what happens if they use a different soil type, if they try different bulbs, and if they try a different amount of water or amount of daylight time for the pot plants. It is easier to control everything, so they can more easily see what is going to make a difference.
Experimentation provides a number of different benefits for growers. They will be able to figure out how marijuana responds when they change something and know exactly what caused the different response. This can help them encourage the plants to start flowering faster or encourage them to produce more buds. Every time they grow plants, they can run different experiments to find out what they can do to increase their yield or to grow stronger marijuana, depending on their goals.
Ensure the Environment is Hygienic
Those who are growing our American weed seeds indoors can create a more sterile environment, ensuring everything is kept clean and free from any contaminants. This is beneficial for all who grow marijuana as it enables them to ensure that the marijuana is safe to consume. However, it is especially important for those growing medical marijuana. When marijuana is to be used for medicine, it needs to be completely free of any contaminants, which means keeping the environment as hygienic as possible is crucial.
Those who use marijuana to help with a medical issue may have a weak or sensitive immune system. This means they cannot use marijuana that could potentially have germs, a fungus, any parasites, or other microscopic organisms that could cause them to be ill. Marijuana grown outside, for instance, could have a devastating impact on their health. Instead, they will want to keep the environment where the marijuana is grown as sterile as possible to ensure that the final harvested chronic is not contaminated with anything that could trigger a response from their immune system.
Easily Keep an Eye on Everything
To get the highest THC content or the best yields, it is important to pay close attention to the plant and its needs throughout the growing stages. When it is grown inside, it is easier to keep a close eye on everything and ensure complications are minimized. During the beginning stage of growth, after the marijuana has germinated, it’s easier to keep an eye out for any male plants so they can be removed before pollination occurs.
It is also easier to monitor where the plant is in its growth stages to ensure the lighting is adjusted as needed for faster growth. During the vegetative state, the marijuana plant can get up to 24 hours of light per day to ensure rapid growth. During the flowering stage, this should be reduced to ensure it starts to flower properly. This can’t be done outdoors, but it’s easy to keep an eye on where the plants are in their growth stage and adjust the lighting as necessary to ensure the plants grow rapidly and get the light or dark they need, depending on the stage they’re in.
Can Encourage Faster Growth
Adjusting the light and dark periods for the plant is just one way to encourage faster growth, as well as larger growth. It’s also possible to adjust almost everything else to ensure the plants are able to grow as large as possible, which can help increase yields, and that they grow as fast as possible, which means the grower is able to harvest the plant quickly. Growers can experiment with the soil conditions, the temperature in the room, and more to help encourage rapid growth so they can harvest the plants quickly.
Indoors, it is easy to keep an eye on the growth and adjust the container sizes as needed to ensure the plants have plenty of room to grow. Beginners may need to carefully repot the plant a few times if they do not start out with a pot that is large enough. However, once they get an idea of the size container they need, they can use larger containers that give the roots more room to grow. This can help encourage faster growth because the roots have more room to spread as the plant grows.
Get Multiple Harvests Per Year
When marijuana plants are outdoors, depending on the location, there may only be one or two growing periods due to the amount of sunlight, the weather conditions, and more. Those in more southern climates may be able to grow plants multiple times per year to extend their growing season, and those further north can use a greenhouse or related equipment to get a longer growing season. With indoor cultivation, however, none of this is a concern.
Since the grower has complete control over the climate indoors, it is possible for them to grow marijuana year-round, no matter the location. They can start plants as soon as the others are done harvesting if they are limited to a certain number of plants growing at a time. Since it takes around two months from seedling to harvest, this gives them around six growing periods per year. Regardless of the number of plants, indoor growers have the option to stagger the plantings, allowing them to harvest regularly depending on how often they start new plants. This is especially helpful for growers who are dealing with colder climate conditions like those cultivating in North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.
Fewer Risks for Pests or Viruses
With a controlled climate, it’s easier to minimize the chance of any pests or viruses plaguing the plants. Marijuana plants are susceptible to various plant diseases that can quickly spread, wiping out all of the plants in the area. If this happens, the entire harvest is lost, and the grower will need to treat the disease in the soil before they can try again. This can be costly, depending on the disease that has spread.
Indoors, it is possible to minimize the chance of this happening. The grower has the ability to monitor the climate, which can help reduce the chance of some diseases starting. Plus, they can start growing from seeds and be careful to avoid contamination, so they reduce the chance of any diseases reaching the plants. Because the plants are indoors, they are also less susceptible to outdoor pests since pest control in the home should keep the plants safe.
Quality Can be Much Higher
Growers will want to purchase high-quality weed seeds, no matter where they plan on growing the plants. However, the seeds are not the only way to make sure the plant is producing high-quality marijuana in the end. Those growing outdoors will still want to purchase high-quality seeds for the better germination rate, but they may not get the higher-quality results like those who grow indoors. Every part of the growing process can have an impact on the plant’s growth, from the lights used to the soil chosen, the nutrients added to the soil, and the way the marijuana is cured after it has been harvested.
Since those who are growing indoors are able to control every step of the process, including the climate, it is possible for them to grow marijuana that’s much higher quality than the plants grown outside. They can adjust anything as needed to ensure the plants are receiving the necessary nutrients (something that’s difficult or impossible to do outside) and they can make sure the plants get sufficient water without overwatering as well as ensure the lights are adequate for higher quality buds.
Quality is More Consistent
In the beginning, many growers are going to experiment with their setup and ensure they have everything the plant needs to grow rapidly, grow as large as possible, and produce more buds. At this point, there is not going to be a consistent quality because they are changing different things like the lighting or the type of soil to figure out what works best for them. Once they have this figured out, however, they will start to have a more consistent quality.
Outdoors, the quality can differ based on the time of year, the amount of daylight the plants receive, how much it rains, and more. Indoors, however, all of this is controlled. Once the grower has figured out what works best for them, they can continue to use exactly the same growing conditions for all marijuana plants they grow. This gives them far more consistent results, no matter what time of the year it is. This can help ensure they get the higher CBD or THC levels, depending on their preference and the strains they have decided to grow.
Can be a Lot of Fun
One of the biggest benefits of growing plants indoors is that it can be a ton of fun. It does take some money to get everything up and running, though there are budget-friendly options available, and it does take a lot of work to make sure everything is right. However, it is a great way to learn a lot more about growing plants inside, and once the grower has figured out the right system to maximize their quality and yield, it can be a really relaxing pastime. Once everything is in place, the focus turns to watching the plants grow and waiting for the harvest, which can be pleasant and enjoyable.
Closing Thoughts
Growing plants indoors can provide a ton of benefits that growing outdoors does not offer. It is possible to control every aspect of the plant’s life, which can help with controlling the size of the yield, the quality of the marijuana, and more. It’s also possible to ensure the area is hygienic, which can mean a reduced chance of any issues with the plants and the ability to grow medical-grade marijuana that can be used by those who need help with medical issues.
If you are planning on growing marijuana, start with high-quality seeds from an online cannabis seed bank such as Kind Seed Co, and then decide where you want to grow the plants. It can be a little expensive to get everything set up in the beginning, but the costs will be reduced once everything is ready to go. Plus, you will get all of the above benefits of growing indoors and can have the chance to closely watch the plants, which can be a lot of fun.
