Growing Cannabis in an Outdoor Garden

Growing cannabis outdoors in Calgary is nearly impossible given our short and unpredictable seasons.

Our seasons complicate the vegetative and flowering stages; typically, our spring and summer seasons are too short and the winter season is too long. One solution that’s popular in the southern Alberta area is using auto-flowering seeds and a green house.

Auto-flowering seeds have been bread with Cannabis ruderalis; a cannabis species that grows in harsh climates- perfect for the Calgary climate and increasing the likelihood of a successful outdoor crop.

Benefits of growing cannabis outdoor

Energy costs are 0

Setup costs are reduced

Potential to be completely organic

High yield potential

Safer

Better for the environment

Cons of growing cannabis outdoor

Harder to control the atmosphere for quality results

A rabbit might eat your pot

Pests and mite control

No control of seasons / lighting / temperature

Impossible in Calgary

Growing Cannabis in a Green House

Greenhouses allow some areas of Alberta to grow cannabis functionally, typically on an industrial scale. Home-based greenhouses allow additional environmental control in comparison to an outdoor crop which is highly uncontrolled.

The beauty of a greenhouse is the additional control to manipulate the temperature and humidity, light cycles and environment as a whole. Trapping infrared radiation within the transparent walls of the greenhouse gives owners the ability to use heat over an extended period without adding costly features,

Of course the more you invest, the more flexibility you will find when it comes to customization and added features and functions such as more precise temperature, light and humidity control.

Benefits of growing cannabis in a greenhouse

Lighting control

Temperature and atmosphere control

Conserve energy

Less expensive no electrical costs

Slightly reduced setup costs

Cons of growing cannabis in a greenhouse

Highly involved

Time consuming to monitor environment

Less responsive environment

Risk of disease and mites higher than completely controlled environment

Growing Cannabis in a Grow Tent

Grow tents are great for entry-level licensed producers looking for a simple alternative to control the atmosphere.

A well-equipped tent comes with space to attach a carbon filter- perfect for reducing the smell in multi residence living situations.

Grow tents come in all shapes and sizes to accommodate whatever your growing space may be limited to. We recommend getting a high quality tent with thick seams and zippers. Many cheaper tents available come with thin seams and weak zippers.

Benefits of using a grow tent to grow cannabis

Enclosed environment, easier control of humidity, wind flow, temperature etc.

Great for a discrete setup

Reflective material makes sure you get the most of your lumens

Easy to add carbon filter and contain smell

Setup for easy light hanging and attachment addition

Multiple sizes for any environment

Cons of growing cannabis in a grow tent

Limited to the size of the tent

Not scalable for larger grows

Limited customizability for multiple plants

Limited in size for quick adjustments

Expensive after all additions

Cheaper tents may use materials harmful to plants

Growing Cannabis In an Automated Grow Box

A grow box offers entry level and small scale grow setup a completely automated alternative.

Today’s technology has made grow boxes by far the most convenient way to grow. The good thing about automating your grow is the saved time and energy compared to that of a traditional grow.

An automated grow from start to finish can be run by programming the essentials, monitoring and adapting for your local climate and strain choice. Some alternatives similar to Cloudponics offer applications to monitor your crop while you’re on holidays or in class.

What a time to be alive.

Benefits of growing cannabis in an automated grow box

Convenient, control from an app on your mobile phone

Less time consuming, freedom to be away from the house

Environment completely controlled, no smell!

Perfect for entry level grows

Can look great in your room

Good on energy

Cons of growing cannabis in an automated grow box

Pricey

Limited number of plants

Not available locally in most cases, not quick to setup

Not always customizable for the space

Can’t always upgrade / limited to certain brand products

No customizability in regards to attachments or setup

Not scalable

Canadian Laws Regarding Growing Cannabis