We’ve looked over a few of the main aspects of indoor and outdoor growing. How you grow relies largely on which part of the world you live in but also on why you are growing. It is usually easier to grow in bulk indoors but can be a lot cheaper and in some cases easier to grow outdoors. No matter the difference in growing, what are the other differences between indoor and outdoor weed? This is a topic I’ve never really considered before but of course, there must be differences in two of the same plant grown in completely different ways. Is there a difference in the high? The flavour? The best way to smoke it? Let’s have a quick revisit on the difference in growing methods and then we can answer those questions.
Growing Indoors vs Outdoors
Of course, the main difference between growing indoors and outdoors is the grow space itself. Indoors a grower will need a well set up grow room that provides light, warmth, the correct level of humidity and everything else that a plant would usually get from the correct outdoor grow space. The primary benefits of indoor growing are discretion, control, and protection from pests and the elements. For both forms of growing the gardener will need to keep a close eye on their crop and ensure they are well cared for. Both styles of growing have their drawbacks and their advantages. This largely depends on the grower themselves but also which part of the world they live in. You’re going to have a bad time growing outdoors in a colder country with unpredictable weather. So whether you want to grow indoors or outdoors depends on lots of factors and you should have a good old research before getting started.
Who Should Grow Where?
The reason for the crop will likely alter whether it is better to grow indoors or outdoors. Different grow spaces will provide their own advantages depending on the type of crop you are looking to grow and the reason for cultivating the plants.
Indoors
Indoor growing tends to be better suited to bulk and commercial growers. Though growing outdoors is significantly more cost-effective and better for the planet, it’s much too unpredictable. If you are growing as a part of a business you can’t really afford to lose an entire crop to a surprise storm or an insect infestation. It can often be easier for large businesses to consider the costs of a grow space in advance and include it in their business expenses. There are a lot of expensive bits and pieces that are needed to keep a large grow space running. However, small cupboard setups for one or two plants can be a great idea for novice or home use growers who live in colder countries. They aren’t that hard to set up and if they are built well they also aren’t enormously expensive.
Outdoors
Honestly, outdoor growing is reserved for those who live in the right parts of the world and who have an appropriate area to grow in. Home growers who live in densely populated areas may not want to grow in their back garden. If you live somewhere where you’ll have three months of uninterrupted sun, with maybe a few nice showers here and there, then outdoor growing can be a fantastic and eco-friendly way to grow your crops.
Potency
Now onto an interesting aspect of choosing where to grow, and how potent your plants will be. Opinions on this topic are definitely divided and while some swear they’ve never had a better high than an indoor high, others are sure of the opposite. We know that potency is determined by levels of THC in the plant. The overall consensus is that weed grown indoors is generally more potent. This isn’t all that surprising when we consider how carefully controlled indoor environments are. Outdoors we cannot accurately say that the weather will be ideal for growing cannabis, but we can indoors. The argument here is does the strength of the potency necessarily make the weed better? The answer to that has to be not necessarily. Just because a strain is powerful doesn’t make it amazing to smoke. A talented outdoor grower can create extremely impressive plants using the sun without sacrificing potency. A lot of people swear these produce better highs. Whether or not that is true it does take a talent to produce, and less experienced growers may not end up with a desirable product.
Flavour
A lot of people say that they can taste the difference between indoor and outdoor weed. This might be nonsense, or it could be a phenomenon called terroir. This is how the outdoor environment affects the taste of the plant, a term usually used when talking about vineyard grapes. There may indeed be some subtle flavours that can only be obtained by skilled outdoor growing that cannot be mimicked indoors. However, this is something that is only reported by cannabis connoisseurs and probably doesn’t make much of a difference to the average smoker. Just like someone who is an expert in wine might taste sage or cedar in their glass of red whereas I just taste wine.
Appearance
The way that weed looks largely depends on temperatures and minerals during their growth. This is why a lot of commercial weed is grown indoors. It is easier to control these things resulting in far more vibrant looking strains that have a stronger commercial value. Weed can be extremely beautiful, especially the strains that go a bright purple or blue in the lower night temperatures. So on appearance, I think indoor growing probably takes the win.
So in summation, the differences between indoor and outdoor plants are not massive. If you are curious as a consumer then the likelihood is that most of the weed you get will be grown indoors anyway. As a grower, I say just go with your preferences.
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