Growing methods are a major point of contention amongst cannabis connoisseurs. You’ve probably heard that cannabis can be grown indoors or outdoors, which is simple enough to imagine, but you might also have heard terms like “light dep” and “hydro” thrown around, which aren’t as familiar. We’re going to break down what each of these methods are and explain how each affects your bud.
First, let’s talk about outdoor growing. Outdoors grows tend to yield very large quantities of flower, but because elements such as rain, sunlight, humidity, and temperature are subject to the whims of Mother Nature, it’s difficult to determine what the result of each grow will be. The costs associated with growing outdoor can majorly fluctuate because a lot of labor is required during harvest time, but throughout the growing process, only minimal maintenance is necessary so it’s possible to keep costs low. For this reason, outdoor-grown flower is typically cheaper than indoor, but because of the variability of the elements, you might not always get a consistent product.
On the other hand, indoor grows rely solely on the grower to ensure that every plant is getting enough water, light, and nutrients to thrive. This requires almost around the clock labor to ensure that the grow will produce. Indoors growers are able to control every aspect of the growing process, and master growers use all sorts of tricks and methods to produce the largest buds with the highest amounts of THC possible. Indoor grows produce more each “season” because growers don’t have to wait for the natural season cycle, however, due to the restriction of being indoors, the yields on indoor grows tend to be smaller per harvest.
Did you know that Herbarium houses a high-tec, indoor grow inside of our dispensary? We are one of the only stores that has a license to grow, as well as all the licenses necessary to manufacture, distribute, and sell. We only employ the best growers that are true masters of growing cannabis and because we are able to grow, package, and sell in-house, you can be guaranteed that you will always be getting the freshest, cleanest bud at the best possible price.
The light deprivation method, known as “light dep,” is an excellent way to mitigate the effects of the ever-changing variables associated with outdoor grows, especially in climates that have wet, colder fall seasons, and it’s a great way to help ensure bud quality. This technique allows you to control the hours of light your outdoor cannabis plants receive. When you trick your plants into thinking that the shorter light periods of autumn are beginning, they will speed up the flowering process, meaning you can achieve up to two more harvests per season than you can by just leaving it all up to Mother Nature.
Another popular growing method is via hydroponics, aka “hydro.” This indoor growing method involves no soil, meaning the plant’s roots are open to the air. This method allows for an extreme level of control over every aspect of the plant’s growth, but growers must be very careful to maintain a closely regulated environment when growing in this way, as any disturbance can significantly affect the grow.
Ask your budtender about which cannabis is grown indoors and outdoors.