When it comes to cannabis, how and where it’s grown can make a big difference in the final product and your consumer experience. From sun-grown outdoor plants to climate-controlled indoor cultivation, and the hybrid environment of greenhouses, each method brings unique characteristics to the cannabis it produces. 

Outdoor-grown cannabis is often praised for its natural qualities, indoor-grown for its consistency and potency, and greenhouse-grown, or greendoor cannabis for its balanced approach. 

Here we’re exploring the differences between these three growing methods and how the plant’s growth, flavour, potency, and overall experience are affected. Whether you’re curious about the impact of natural sunlight, controlled environments, or the best of both worlds, this guide will help you understand what goes into your cannabis and how to choose the right one for your preferences.

Why Does Growing Method Matter?

The method used to grow cannabis plays a crucial role in shaping its quality, potency, flavour, and environmental impact. Outdoor, indoor, and greendoor-grown cannabis each offer unique characteristics that affect everything from the strength of the cannabinoids to the depth of the terpene profiles. 

For instance, outdoor cannabis exposed to natural soil and sunlight can produce robust flavours and natural resilience, while indoor-grown cannabis often achieves higher potency and consistency through controlled lighting and climate. 

Greendoor methods, blending sunlight with controlled conditions, bring a balance between the benefits of outdoor and indoor growing. 

Additionally, beyond quality and flavour, the method of growing also impacts sustainability. Outdoor and greendoor setups generally have lower environmental footprints than indoor setups, which you can learn more about below. 

Outdoor-Grown Cannabis: Nature’s Approach

Using outdoor growing methods is the most inexpensive for growers since they don’t need artificial lights, tarps, fans, or fancy equipment. However, this also comes with its downside.
Since the plants are exposed to the elements, factors like wind, temperature, pests, and humidity can be difficult to control. Factors like these not only affect the growth of the plants but also the overall appearance and quality of the flowers. 

On the other side, the plants may be exposed to a broader and more intense light spectrum, allowing them to grow to their full potential.

Indoor-Grown Cannabis: Precision and Potency

Growing cannabis indoors allows growers way more control over the growing process by allowing them to control temperature, humidity, light cycles, and air circulation. Rather than leaving anything to chance, growers using indoor setups control everything from exactly how long the plants have access to light to the precision of nutrients in the water, and even the exact humidity and temperature. 

Greenhouse-Grown (Greendoor): The Best of Both Worlds

Greendoor systems have been gaining a lot of traction in South Africa over the last couple of years thanks to its hybrid growing approach that makes use of both indoor and outdoor growing. Here, cannabis is grown in light-deprivation greenhouses, with growers making use of tarps to block out the sun.
Along with the use of supplemental lights and HVAC systems that help with climate control of the greenhouse, growers can cultivate plants to their best genetic potential.

Comparing Effects: How Each Method Influences Flavor, Potency, and Terpene Profiles

The way cannabis is grown greatly influences its flavour, potency, and terpene profile.

Environmental Impact: Sustainability & Energy Use

The environmental footprint of each of these three methods varies significantly. Outdoor-grown cannabis typically has the lowest impact, thanks to relying on natural sunlight and making use of rainwater where available.

Indoor-grown cannabis has a considerably larger environmental impact due to the high energy requirements of artificial lighting, HVAC systems, and water control. 

Greendoor-grown cannabis offers a balanced alternative thanks to the hybrid effects of combining sunlight with controlled environmental support, reducing the need for artificial lighting and temperature control compared to indoor-grown plants. Remember that cannabis grown outdoors has also most likely been exposed to pesticides due to the presence of pests like moulds, spores, and bugs.

Short and sweet:

Each growing method has its ups and downs, both for the producer and for the end user, and while there is no “perfect” cannabis growing system, there are certain things that you can look at before choosing what is right for you.

• Indoor: Grown entirely inside; growers have the most control over these set-ups, with plants producing high-quality flowers, but it has a larger environmental impact thanks to the water and energy requirements. Indoor cannabis is often seen as “cleaner” because the risk of pests and pesticides is dramatically decreased. If you’re looking for consistent, potent buds, look no further than indoor-grown.

• Outdoor: Grown entirely outside with natural daylight cycles. This cultivation method has the lowest environmental impact, but the plants are most subject to the uncontrollable effects of weather and other factors which may affect the yield and quality of the buds. If you appreciate an all-natural experience and rich flavour profile above all else, an outdoor-grown strain is your go-to.

• Greendoor: A hybrid cultivation method that uses both natural sunlight and timed light deprivation. This hybrid approach helps lower energy consumption and water use, offering users a more sustainable option while still producing quality flowers. If you’re looking for that perfect balance of enhanced flavours and aromas without compromising on the quality of your experience, reach for a greendoor-grown strain.

Want to compare them for yourself?

Our Hey Bud team makes sure to bring only the best to the market, which is why we highlight indoor- and greendoor-grown strains - so you know what to expect with every puff.
You can find our Indoor strains here and our Greendoor strains here. 

Not sure which one is the one for you? Feel free to chat with us to see what we can recommend. 

And as always, lifted, stay curious, and enjoy the journey.

— The Hey Bud Team 🫶

Sources:

• https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/what-to-buy-greenhouse-vs-indoor-vs-outdoor-cannabis-growing
• https://vaperite.co.za/outdoor-greenhouse-indoor-whats-the-difference/
• https://dopewarehouse.co.za/comparing-bud-outdoor-greenhouse-and-indoor-cannabis-cultivation/
• https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/what-to-buy-greenhouse-vs-indoor-vs-outdoor-cannabis-growing