If you’ve been shopping online for CBD flower, you’ve probably noticed that you sometimes have the choice between indoor and outdoor flower. But what does that mean? And is one better than the other? Let’s compare indoor vs. outdoor CBD flower so you can make the right choice for yourself.
What is Indoor CBD Flower?
True to its name, indoor hemp flower has been grown indoors. Grow lights, an indoor irrigation system and proper ventilation are used to create an optimal and controlled growing environment. Indoor hemp can be grown year-round without any reliance on natural elements such as sunlight and rain.
Since the indoor plants aren’t exposed to these elements, the grower has more control and can provide the hemp plants with exactly what they need. As you would expect, creating this optimal environment does involve higher operating costs. Indoor growing also creates more of a carbon footprint than growing outdoors..
What is Outdoor Hemp Flower?
Outdoor CBD flower has been grown outside, usually in a large field. This is the most common type of hemp flower that you’ll find since it’s less expensive to grow outdoors than it is indoors on a large scale. If a product is not specifically labeled as indoor, then it was likely grown outdoors.
Outdoor growers have less control over the growing process and they have to deal with the uncertainties of the natural elements. This includes being reliant on the appropriate amounts of sun and rain to grow a healthy crop. Changes in the climate such as an early snowfall can lead to an early harvest before the plants have reached the desired levels of cannabinoids and terpenes.
There’s also a defined outdoor growing season for outdoor hemp. In Oregon for example, the hemp is typically planted in June and then harvested in September. When it comes time to harvest the crop, the yield is usually quite large. This means that large quantities must be stored for extended periods and can lead to outdoor flower being more dry and less fresh than indoor flower.
Which One is Best?
If you aren’t a farmer or an experienced cannabis user, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference between indoor vs. outdoor hemp flower just by looking at it. Generally, indoor flower is considered “better” than outdoor flower because of the controlled environment in which it was grown. Indoor buds are typically more dense, colorful, aromatic and potent than their outdoor counterparts. Indoor flower can also be more fresh since it can be grown outside of the 3-month outdoor growing season. But the advantages of indoor CBD flower do come at a higher cost.
You can think of it like the choice between a $50 bottle of wine or a $10 bottle of wine. While a wine connoisseur may be able to tell the difference, most of us can’t. We recommend that you try both an indoor CBD flower product and an outdoor one yourself so you can make an educated decision about which one you prefer.