According to a recent report by Grand View Research Inc., the legal marijuana market is bound to hit the mind-blowing $146.4 billion worth as early as the end of 2025.
These numbers bring valuable insights about the way marijuana is slowly but steadily changing the lives of millions of people globally.
Just like more people are opting for cannabis in order to treat a wide array of mental and physical concerns, as well as for recreational purposes, so is the cannabis growers’ community expanding.
Growing marijuana in greenhouses is rapidly turning into a popular and favorite method for producing top-shelf buds among both experienced and beginner cannabis enthusiasts, and that’s for some good reasons.
Cultivating cannabis in a greenhouse comes with multiple benefits such as cost efficiency, high quality and high quantity of the cannabis flowers obtained upon harvesting, and nonetheless, ease of the marijuana grow journey because of the better control over the growing environment.
In this article, we will discuss the possible gains from growing marijuana in greenhouses with a mind to inspiring and helping out all of our fellow cannabis cultivars out there who might be still wondering whether giving weed greenhouse growing a try is a good move.
Greenhouse Marijuana Growing: The Future of Cannabis Cultivation
It won’t be farfetched to state that growing cannabis in greenhouses is the future of cannabis cultivation. This statement is supported by many cannabis experts who have years of experience in the niche.
But why is that so
In a nutshell, opting for cannabis cultivation in a greenhouse is the best way to combine, and subsequently, to reap the amazing benefits of both outdoor, as well as indoor growing. It is fair to say that greenhouse marijuana growing is something like the hybrid of indoor and outdoor cannabis grows operations.
So, if growing cannabis in greenhouses is such an awesome alternative to the traditional outdoor and indoor marijuana set-ups, then how come it has started to get all the attention just recently and not earlier
The answer is pretty simple: marijuana was not legal for many years (nothing new under the Sun, right). It is exactly because of the illegality of marijuana that used to force so many growers to keep their cannabis gardens indoors, far away from the public radar.
However, indoor cannabis growing did not develop merely because of the lack of legal options to grow the herb outdoors.
Indoor cannabis cultivation has many benefits for the growers as keeping marijuana plants inside allows for ultimate control over the environment. This means fewer issues related to unfavorable weather, including but not limited to abrupt changes in temperatures, harsh winds, and rains, as well as fewer issues related to pests attacks and various diseases, among others.
On the other hand, though, indoor cannabis growing does set a particular limit in the yields a grower can reach upon harvesting. On the contrary, when growing cannabis outdoors under the right conditions, cannabis plants can become truly impressive with an out-of-this-world size, giving rise to mammoth-scale yields of the highest quality, dense, sparkling trichome coated buds.
Yes, outdoor cannabis plants can become HUGE, looking much more like trees than like the bushy plants we are used to thinking of at the very mention of an indoor cannabis growing operation.
Cannabis Greenhouse Cultivation: Benefits that Extend Beyond What Meets the Eye at the Very First Sight
And so, combining craftiness, creativity, open-mindedness, knowledge, skills, and critical thinking, cannabis growers gradually started to realize that greenhouse marijuana growing can allow for the well-known technology used in traditional indoor grow rooms to be brought outdoors. Doing so further allows for either supplementing or altering the effects of the natural elements outdoors accordingly, all for the sake of boosting cannabis plants’ performance and well-being in the best way possible.
But apart from the obvious short-term benefits of growing cannabis in greenhouses such as being able to avoid variable weather-related issues and curbing the production costs, there are other priceless benefits in opting for greenhouse cannabis cultivation. Moreover, these priceless benefits only become better pronounced in the long run.
Quintessentially, greenhouse cannabis cultivation is simply better for the planet.
That’s directly related to the fact greenhouse operations require the use of far less electricity than traditional indoor operations. Nonetheless, greenhouse cannabis cultivation makes it possible for the cannabis growers who are truly concerned about the well-being of Planet Earth to go for 100% organic practices.
Considering the dire need for change in order to cope with the adverse effects of the climate crisis, soil erosion and fertility deprivation, the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides, among others, cultivating cannabis in a greenhouse, even on a small scale, can make an excellent, much needed impact for the better.
Taking these facts in mind alongside with the stats proving that the marijuana industry growth has no parallel in the entire history of the US in terms of both scope and speed of development, it only becomes more relevant to think about the big picture, and in particular, about the ways cannabis can be grown sustainably, which is exactly what greenhouse cannabis operations can pave the path to.
Nowadays, many cannabis growers are still following the old ways of cannabis growing by making use of way too many synthetic fertilizers, inert growing mediums, grow lights that have a high energy output, and/or tons of additional equipment that further makes the electricity consumption hard to handle from an ecological point of view.
But the future of cannabis growing is about to change drastically in the following decade, and it was exactly during the celebrations of Earth Day 2019 when the big question regarding sustainable cannabis farming practices was put right in the very spotlights of public discussions.
Benefits of Growing Cannabis in a Greenhouse
1. No grow light can outperform the natural sunlight
Certainly, for cannabis growers who want to enjoy perpetual harvesting all year-round, the use of additional grow lights as part of greenhouse marijuana grow mission is often needed unless the growers happen to live in regions where the sunny hours are abundant throughout the entire year.
However, whenever possible during the growing season, cultivars can take utmost advantage of the most powerful to grow light possible that also comes for free: natural sunlight.
Did you know that a stunning 430 trillion joules of solar energy literally hit the Earth every single hour
For the record, that’s enough solar energy for meeting the global energy needs for a year. Yes, a whole year! 430 with 18 zeros behind it, that’s how amazingly powerful the natural sunlight that bathes the Earth in warmth, bringing life to every living creature is.
Furthermore, when growing cannabis in greenhouse sunlight can be accumulated and utilized like no other grow room possibly can allow growers to do. Both the light spectrum, as well as the intensity of the light made in a greenhouse through natural sunlight is simply superior to any existing grow light.
2. The greenhouse effect is vital to the miracle of Life
Nowadays, much is being said about the adverse effects of greenhouse gases causing the greenhouse effect.
While these terms bring negative connotations straight away, it is good to keep in mind that the greenhouse effect, in its very essence, is vital to the miracle of Life. That’s because the atmosphere of planet Earth consists of varying levels of three primary elements: oxygen, argon, and nitrogen. While these elements are greenhouse gases, they serve an important function acting as a protective shield that ensures the temperature rates stay consistent, thus, supporting life on the planet.
Interestingly, the way a greenhouse works beneficially for growing cannabis is quite similar to the way the balanced levels of greenhouse gases work as protective shields making up for stable temperatures.
Simply put, once natural sunlight enters through the window of a greenhouse, it is stored inside in the form of heat. Glass windows are superior to plastic made windows, of course. However, both can work fairly fine for the purpose of growing healthy, vigorous cannabis plants all year-round. Let’s not forget that cannabis plants belong to the family of plants described as thermophilic which means they thrive when introduced to sufficient warmth and light.
3. Cost efficiency: good for your wallet, good for the planet
When it comes to the cost-effectiveness of growing cannabis in greenhouses, things are pretty straightforward: greenhouses can easily compensate the disadvantages many growers face when trying to grow weed perpetually throughout the year, such as extreme weather and/or costly electricity.
To illustrate the benefits of cannabis greenhouse grow operations better, let’s take, for example, the challenges of cannabis cultivation in Massachusetts.
In January the average temperature lows in the state of Massachusetts is estimated at 22 Fahrenheit.
This makes it quite impossible to grow weed outdoors during the late autumn-early spring season in Massachusetts unless the growers go for a high-quality greenhouse set-up.
It is important to pay attention to the term “high-quality greenhouse” because greenhouses are not created equal. In short, the higher the quality of the greenhouse (think of glass windows instead of plastic sheeting, as well as reliable grow equipment), the better the performance of cannabis plants grown inside the greenhouse.
A high-quality cannabis greenhouse will allow for the temperatures to be easily maintained within the desired rates during both the cold, as well as the hot months of the year. For example, simple heaters can be used to raise the temperature to the best working rates for cannabis plants during the winter season, and grow lights can be used as an additional means of light supplementation to the natural sunlight which, no matter how scarce, is still present all year-round.
As to the maintenance of a greenhouse, the cannabis grows operation during the hot summer months, growers can simply let fresh air enter the greenhouse freely, thus, cooling down the cannabis garden while the Sun will do the best job for providing the green ladies with all the light they need to flourish.
Taking these facts into consideration, it is effortless to realize that the benefits of growing cannabis in a greenhouse extend beyond cost efficiency and reach all the way to environmental friendly rewards.
4. Superior control over the microclimate = best buds
Greenhouse cannabis cultivation allows growers to gain superior control over the microclimate. Not only can be several harvests be achieved throughout the year with some careful planning but there is also a lot of freedom when it comes to manipulating the life cycle of cannabis plants grown in greenhouses in order to lay hands on the best buds ever.
For instance, the vegetation stage can be easily prolonged. Therefore, the cannabis plants can reach up to their fullest potential by growing dense, healthy foliage which, in return, gives rise to multiple cannabis flowers.
Not the least, growers can choose to plant their cannabis seeds earlier or later without having to strictly comply with the weather patterns. Poor weather, wind, various animals that would love to munch on marijuana plants such as deer, snails, and rabbits, among many others, and nonetheless, thieves, can be all kept away without much of a fuss when growing your precious plants in a greenhouse.
Ultimately, a greenhouse allows to grow cannabis either discreetly or not discreetly at all, depending on the personal needs and preferences of every grower, so it is definitely not just about the superior control over the microclimate but the overall control over the grow operation that is not to be underestimated.
5. Building your way up to a high-tech cannabis greenhouse
One of the best things about being involved in a cannabis growing journey is that you enter a whole new dimension full of invaluable lessons, insights, and know-how.
Best of all, growing cannabis is a continual learning process which means that you have the amazing chance to keep expanding your skills as time goes by. The same goes to the type of greenhouse you grow your cannabis plants in.
At the very start, you may want to opt for a low-cost investment type of greenhouse, such as a DIY free standing, easy to assemble and disassemble greenhouse.
However, later on, as you become more experienced with growing cannabis in a greenhouse, and most probably much more keen on boosting the performance of your marijuana greenhouse set-ups, you can choose to invest in a high-tech cannabis greenhouse.
As you get to think of it, this is fairly easily achievable without falling in debt since you will inevitably save a lot of money related to growing expenses within as little as a year or two after switching to greenhouse cannabis growing. Just do keep in mind that horticultural experts highlight glass is the best material for a high-tech greenhouse as plastic cuts out some of the light spectrum. It is truly amazing how many things we can learn about light while growing cannabis plants. Did you know that light waves actually travel faster than sound
Which Cannabis Strains Can You Grow in a Greenhouse
Now, let’s get things clear right from the start: we do not want to restrict the possible choice of cannabis strains you can grow in a greenhouse to a list of top X varieties because doing so would be somewhat deceptive.
The truth is, any cannabis strains can be grown in a greenhouse but not all strains will perform equally well. The final results upon harvesting greatly depend on factors which are strictly individual for each grower such as experience, the climate, the type of grow equipment used, the quality of marijuana seeds, and so on.
With this in mind, the best strains to grow in a greenhouse for grower A may be the worst ones for grower B.
However, there are some important considerations you can take in order to pick the strain that will really turn out to be the best to grow in a greenhouse depending on the unique conditions you can provide for your green ladies.
If you are about to grow a Sativa or Sativa dominant cannabis strain, such as our favorite Haze Xtreme, mind that the more light and warmth you can provide, the better the yield. In fact, greenhouses can be the only option for growing Sativas in certain climate zones since most cannabis enthusiasts are not blessed to live in places away from cold, wet conditions, lack of harsh winds and plenty of sunny hours per day going on for months! Yet a greenhouse can compensate for the absence of these conditions. Do be extra careful about mold related conditions due to high humidity, though, as these are more likely to hit Sativas vs Indicas.
Indica varieties like the legendary Original Skunk strain can thrive in a greenhouse. Do check whether the Indica strain you are about to grow tolerates higher temperatures if you are planning to start the greenhouse grow season in the peak of summer.
Equipped with the sturdy genetics of Cannabis Ruderalis, autoflower strains can make the perfect greenhouse green ladies cultivate with ease. Several of our team’s absolute top winners in the autoflowers category include Lambs Breath (Jamaican landrace strain), Candy Cane (compact-sized Indica), and the gladiator of Sativa autoflowers Jack Herer strain.
Growing Marijuana in Greenhouses: Final Thoughts
It is happening, bud buddies! With the ongoing cannabis legalization across the US, the American agriculture has begun a billion-dollar dance with marijuana cultivation. More importantly, the US, along with countries such as Uruguay, Jamaica, and South Africa, among others, where weed legalization has kicked in, is setting an excellent example that is bound to expand globally as our collective understanding of the incredible benefits of cannabis cultivation also expands.
Growing marijuana in greenhouses is pointed out by some of the most highly respected experts as the future of farming, and as cannabis growers, we can’t agree more. All plants require care and love to flourish but they also require the right conditions to do so. Since we need to embrace sustainable practices more than ever before, growing cannabis in a greenhouse becomes not only a wonderful option but also brings great hopes that together we can build a better, greener, happier future for generations to come. And all of that while taking utmost advantage of the benefits of growing weed in a greenhouse.
Grow your cannabis plants and enjoy every single minute of this amazing ride.
