Advantages of Growing Cannabis Indoors

Indoor cannabis cultivation was once a hidden practice limited to blacked-out rooms and basement hide-a-ways. Early marijuana indoor growers, fearing prosecution by government mandate during prohibition, were forced to find creative measures when scheming inconspicuous grow set-ups. 

Options for lighting were minimal, humidity and temperature controls were manual, and nutrient supplements were subpar in early cannabis cultivation environments. Trial and error experiments, coupled with data recordings, helped underground growers succeed in early cultivation practices. However, there were no science-based standards for marijuana growers to follow.

Fast forward to present day cannabis growing operations. Modern R&D, supported by relaxed legalization and technology advancements, focuses on developing innovative indoor cultivation practices. Blending old-school know-how growing knowledge with modern efficiencies has shaped unique advantages for growing cannabis indoors.

Marijuana growers realize the value of controlled environments to capitalize on their cash crop. Time and labour costs can be overly high contingent on the size of the cannabis grow room. Eliminating or reducing those costs, especially in large commercial operations, benefits any cannabis business.

Automation is a Game Changer in the Cannabis Industry

As technology continues to progress, automation delivers indoor cannabis cultivators options never before imagined. From climate-controlled environments to nutrient injection systems, programmable controls reduce fluctuations and inconsistent formulas. Additionally, computerized methods are activated to alert a cannabis grower of malfunction in case of system failure.

Digital tracking monitors the system, keeps records, and provides analytical data to the grower. This information is valuable when determining adjustments and regulating climate control parameters. Data collection also helps formalize Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for cannabis businesses to implement in future development.

Automation also reduces the happenstance of human error. Computer applications programmed with particular criteria about unique growing environments perform without emotional ties or physical failures. While most cannabis growers are passionate about their plants, unintentional mistakes sometimes happen due to human mishaps.

Climate Control

Outdoor cannabis growers have the advantage of utilizing nature’s gifts to help grow their gardens. Marijuana plants soak up hours of light from the sun’s rays, thriving in many different types of outdoor climates. They are typically very hardy, learning to adjust to natural elements presented from the start of life.

However, it only takes one torrential downpour with hail or gale winds to seriously damage plants in an outdoor grow set-up. An early or late frost can also wipe out a crop within minutes. While indoor cannabis cultivation rooms must be designed with instruments to mimic nature, there is no worry of uncontrollable weather to damage the plants.

Indoor climate-controlled settings make it easy to grow happy THC and CBD cannabinoid-rich plants. Temperature and relative humidity are two factors contributing to successful cannabis growth. Marijuana plants thrive in warm temps between 65⁰- 75⁰ with sultry humidity levels between 55% – 65%.

They also respond well to proper airflow allowing the plant’s transpiration process to flourish. Adjusting these processes in an indoor grow environment is accomplished with climate regulator tools. Maintaining carbon dioxide levels and Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) is also achieved within a controlled system.

Environmental controls located inside the marijuana grow room are programmed to stay within critical parameters. They regulate heating, cooling, and airflow systems, adjusting automatically to fluctuations. If a control fails, sophisticated sensors activate an alert, sending it to the person monitoring the system. A quick response to program failure dramatically reduces the extent of crop loss.

Nutrient Applications

Nutrient injection systems have existed for years in large commercial agriculture environments for indoor and outdoor growing scenarios. Nutrients applied through a water source distribute fertilization rates per the manufacturer’s recommended doses or a grower’s preference.

Recently developed high-tech fertigation systems supply nutrient applications to each cannabis plant in the growing environment. Sophisticated computer programs designed to mix and deliver nutrient recipes also adjust pH and dial in parts per million (ppm) measurements. Exact amounts of solution are administered to each plant, reducing under or over watering scenarios.

Applying systematically calculated root drenches and beneficial pesticide controls through these water-based systems is also achievable. This complete control process reduces valuable time from a cannabis grower’s schedule, allowing more focus on other significant duties.

Harnessing Cannabis Odours for Security

For most marijuana growers, the intoxicating smell of a plant reaching maturity in its flowering stage is purely divine. Outdoor growers trying to conceal their garden run the gamble of being exposed as resinous trichome rich cannabis plants explode in delectable aromas during the flowering phase.

As harvest nears, outdoor growers face the possibility of theft from midnight raids on their garden. High-tech security cameras can help detect thieves from trespass, but growers will often camp out in their field during the final weeks leading up to harvest.

Indoor grow operations reduce the possibility of outsiders discovering a marijuana crop. Closed indoor environments eliminate the wafts of sweet-smelling plants transmitted in outdoor settings. While not an impossible feat for determined thieves, a secured indoor grow is much harder to infiltrate, especially with surveillance cameras in place.

Advancements in Lighting Options

Attempting to imitate the sun’s natural light spectrum, light design for growing cannabis plants has evolved throughout the years. Early indoor cannabis growers experimented with CFL and T-5 bulbs. White light emitted from these bulbs is adequate for photosynthesis in vegetative growth. Unfortunately, the limited light spectrum produces small buds and low yields.

Metal Halide and High-Pressure Sodium lighting dramatically revolutionized indoor marijuana growing beginning in the 1960s. Low-cost and widely used, HPS has been the cannabis industry standard for many years. The drawbacks to HPS lighting are the amount of electricity they consume and the high temperatures they emit.

As advancements in new lighting technology continue, LED fixtures have recently come into the spotlight. While they are incredibly efficient and produce minimal heat, the initial cost of purchasing LED grow lights are currently quite expensive. Eventually, as LED technology continues to evolve, pricing will become more economical for cannabis growers.

Indoor Cultivation is Raising the Bar

Modern technological farming practices are changing the way we can beneficially grow a cultivar to its fullest potential. Indoor settings provide an optimal opportunity for cannabis growers to influence growing techniques and procedures to produce high yields, terpene induced flavours, and captivating potency. While outdoor growers will always debate the efficiency of Mother Nature’s contribution with minimal inputs, indoor operations offer a reliable, secure means for optimal cannabis cultivation.