# Direct sunlight vs. indoor growing: same quality?



## TastyCough (Oct 20, 2016)

I was reading this article and a thought crossed my mind. How is it that quality can be the same or better when a natural plant is photosynthesizing from an artificial source? Shouldn't natural sunlight produce a higher quality plant and in turn, "higher quality" THC?


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## yarddog (Oct 20, 2016)

with indoor you have the ability to control the environment to near perfect conditions.  both have there strong points and weaknesses.


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## Rosebud (Oct 20, 2016)

We are trying to mimic the outdoors when we grow inside. I have grown both ways. They are two different animals.. I get huge harvests, normally, outdoors. I get  boutiquey pot indoors. Both are good.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Oct 20, 2016)

A given plant only has so much "potential".  If you are able to keep your grow space dialed in and give your plant optimum conditions, the quality should be the same, whether grown indoors or out.  However, outdoors will generally give you larger plants as sunlight is 360 degrees and you have all the fresh air you need.  However, you can be subject to some undesireable conditions outdoors that you can control indoors, like humidity and the amount of water a plant receives.  Thinks like weeks of rain, high humidity, high winds, wildlife, a cold snap, etc, etc, can ruin an outdoor grow.  Like Rosebud said, 2 different animals, but that doesn't necessarily mean different quality.


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## yarddog (Oct 20, 2016)

really it is almost like comparing apples to oranges.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Oct 21, 2016)

While it almost like comparing apples to oranges, the quality of any given plant is only so much.  A plant grown outdoors is not going to be any higher quality than one grown indoors if both are given what they need to grow.


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## zem (Oct 21, 2016)

i have smoked a lot of both indoor and outdoor plants. i noticed one thing in OD buds that is consistently different than indoor buds is that they have thicker veins and bud stems, something that is undesirable. I have never seen an OD bud that is just a nug of sugar from the inside out if you know what i mean. You have more cleaning to do when grinding it.  the smoke however,  can be equally potent both in and outdoor IME


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## Rosebud (Oct 21, 2016)

That is true zem. That is a difference. I always thought the general consensus was indoor was better. I thought my od grows were as good as my indoor though. I guess i will just need to grow a strain indoor and out and get them tested for potency.  People do so many things to improve the grow indoors as far as lights and time. That isn't possible in the great outdoors... A green house is probably the best.....with a retractable roof and light deprivation.


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## umbra (Oct 21, 2016)

When you look at the prices for outdoor, mix light ( greenhouse ), and indoor it kind of tells you everything you need to know. Highest prices are for indoor, then greenhouse, then outdoor. The difference between indoor and outdoor can be $1,000's of dollars.


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## Hushpuppy (Oct 22, 2016)

You are correct Rose; the indoor grow can "dial in" all of the variables that work for the plant while in nature those variables are far harder to control.


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## Surfer Joe (Oct 23, 2016)

TastyCough said:


> I was reading this article and a thought crossed my mind. How is it that quality can be the same or better when a natural plant is photosynthesizing from an artificial source? Shouldn't natural sunlight produce a higher quality plant and in turn, "higher quality" THC?



It's really more about intensity as much as light spectrum.
With a lamp, your light falls off dramatically as you move away from the bulb, so the lower branches suffer.
In sunlight, the top and bottom branches get exactly the same light and the light intensity on a typical sunny day is quite a lot.
I measured the light on a sunny day with the sun at an angle and it was over 150,000 lumens compared to a 600w hps bulb that gives about that at 12 inches or so, but then falls off to almost nothing in a few feet.
I'd rather grow in sunlight inside a greenhouse to protect from bugs.


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## The Poet (Dec 7, 2016)

A brilliant bunch of posts on a very important aspect of growing, inside vs outside. 
Every one had a good point and all I can add is the little crop of 'outdoor' Oregon Grown OG I raised this year was very noticeably better than the best I have produced inside. 
   Now it poured down rain the last few days they were outside and I kept them dry with poles, barn tin and a tarp but this is one of the 'variables' spoken of.
I would say, if possible do both! 
The sun is vastly better than a light but for the 'variables'.
Any one of them can kill your crop and I can think of dozens of variables off the top of my head. 
In conclusion, I'll grow inside and out too. 
The inside is very dependable but the outside isn't.

   Everything else being equal though Oregon Grown OG, grown inside and outside in a side by side comparison, outside is better.


                                 Thank you...


                                           The Poet...


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