Compared to growing indoors light deprivation greenhouses are more sustainable, much more efficient, and drastically reduce overhead. Outdoor growing puts you in nature’s hands with limited control over exposure to organisms, weather patterns, and offers little in the way of privacy. Indoor and light dep offer the best quality results with some arguing indoor produces a fuller terpene profile, although this is hotly debated.
Growing Methods Compared
Here is a quick overview of the pros and cons of indoor vs outdoor vs greenhouse cultivation methods. You can see that light dep greenhouses are a great compromise between outdoor and indoor growing.
Outdoor Growing Pros and Cons
Cheapest and takes full advantage of natural resources
Only permits seasonal growing
Generally lower quality crops
Crops are at risk of exposure to early frost and severe weather
Indoor Growing Pros and Cons
Most expensive and resource-intensive method
Can yield very high-quality crops
Existing spaces can be used
Allows year-round cultivation
Light Deprivation Greenhouse Pros and Cons
Light dep systems can be retrofitted to existing structures
More crop protection than outdoor growing
Less energy and resource-consuming than indoor growing
Allows for year-round growing