Outdoor vs Greenhouse Growing

Outdoor vs Greenhouse Growing

Growing can be a very low-cost, or very high-cost endeavor depending on which method and set-up a grower chooses.

Growing indoors is typically the most expensive due to the actual building costs, costs of electricity and resources, and the task of replicating and managing every environmental factor for the best results.

Outdoor Growing

Outdoor growing will most likely be your cheapest option, as all a grower needs is fertile land, a good water supply, and the right nutrients and tools to take care of the plants. Sunlight is free, eliminating electricity costs, but outdoor growers also run the risk of an unpredictable environment. Freezing temperatures can kill a plant over night, and while less susceptible to disease, outdoor plants can still attract natural predators and bugs that must be handled properly.

One of the biggest (literally) benefits of growing outdoors is the ability to grow massive plants that just couldn't thrive indoors in a crowded space. Having a wide open area to space out your plants in massive pots and letting them grow as big as you want is a major perk of outdoor growing.

So why wouldn't everybody just grow outdoors and grow the biggest plants possible? Botrytis. Also known as bud rot, this form of mildew can spread through plants and completely destroy your crop. And your plants have a much higher chance of contracting Botrytis the bigger they get, as it gets harder for the plants to get rid of excess moisture, which becomes breeding grounds for bud rot.

Greenhouse Growing

The middle-ground option comes in the form of a greenhouse. A combination of indoor and outdoor growing, the cost of setting up a greenhouse is much cheaper than an indoor facility, and with some additional HVAC systems or extra lights for a cloudy day it can be a very enticing option for a grower that doesn’t want as much risk from outdoor, but can’t spare the money for a full indoor facility.

Let’s be real, the main deciding factor in which method you use most likely depends on cost. Considering the two cheaper options, outdoor and greenhouse, it comes down to figuring out which one will be the most cost effective while still yielding the results you want.

Greenhouse Growing

Outdoor Growing

Middle-Ground between Indoor and Outdoor Cheapest growing method and more vigorous plants
Can control some environmental factors in greenhouse More open to environmental influences like temperature and natural predators
Manage sunlight with light deprivation Least amount of maintenance and oversight needed

 

Whether a grower decides to go with an outdoor grow, greenhouse or indoor, the decision is based on multiple factors. From general building and set-up costs to maintenance, light schedules/deprivation methods and pest management, all must be taken into consideration before establishing any grow.

If saving some change is all that matters and there’s a suitable environment, outdoor is the way to go. If you want something better that isn’t a full blown indoor set-up, greenhouse growing might be the happy middle-ground.

If you can't decide which way to go with your grow, get in touch with us or swing by the shop to talk about the best set up for your situation.

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