Updated at: 24-03-2023 - By: Sienna Lewis

Know how long the marijuana growing cycle takes in a greenhouse, typically around eight months, before you attempt to cultivate the plant indoors. By doing so, you can better predict and manage your resources to maximize plant growth and harvest. It’s important to remember that this is an estimate, and that some plants take up to four months to complete their life cycle.

It allows people in states like Colorado to legally cultivate hemp. Greenhouses are a cost-effective entry point into the booming U.S. marijuana industry. Nonetheless, in order to provide optimal care for a plant in a greenhouse, you must be familiar with its life cycle.

Why grow cannabis in a greenhouse?

Greenhouse growers are part of the rapidly expanding community of people who are “growing their own” cannabis. Many people find that starting their own cannabis garden in a greenhouse is less complicated than doing so in a dedicated indoor space. When compared to outdoor cultivation, growing cannabis from seed indoors is much simpler.

Stages of the marijuana plant growth cycle - Green House Grow Shop

The plants inside a greenhouse are safe from the weather, predatory insects, and grazing animals. The growing season can be prolonged inside greenhouses. Indoor cultivation allows you to start your cannabis seeds a little earlier than you could in the open air. As an added bonus, the greenhouse will keep your plants safe from the harshest of the autumn weather while you’re harvesting.

Growers in northern European regions can cultivate high-quality cannabis with either feminized seeds or autoflower seeds thanks to the many advantages of growing cannabis seeds in a greenhouse.

Cannabis seeds and greenhouses

Heat lamps can be used to warm greenhouses if necessary. Whether you’re expecting a light drizzle or a raging storm, you can still control the conditions inside the greenhouse to ensure the best possible growth. Because of this, you can start germinating your cannabis seeds much earlier than you would if you were growing outdoors. Learn everything you need to know about seed germination by reading our comprehensive guide.

Greenhouse cannabis cultivation, with some forethought and planning, can be a safe, secure, and pleasurable way for the home-grower to achieve cannabis self-sufficiency for recreational or medical use. When grown indoors from high-quality seeds, cannabis grown in a greenhouse can produce staggering levels of THC. It’s not shocking that the number of people cultivating their own food in greenhouses is at an all-time high.

Feminised cannabis seeds and greenhouses

In greenhouses, feminized seed varieties thrive. Depending on your variety, they may continue growing vegetatively until they notice the shorterening days, at which point they will begin to show the first signs of blooming sometime in August. Feminized seedlings are typically grown in greenhouses from April to October in the northern hemisphere.

Depending on the conditions in your area, you can germinate seeds and plant them in a greenhouse in March or April. This makes it possible to get going earlier than you could in the fresh air. The worst of the early season weather can be avoided, thanks to the greenhouse’s extra protection.

Because of this, you can start planting in a greenhouse earlier in the year and harvest later into the fall than you could if you were growing your plants outdoors. It is not uncommon for growers of photoperiod feminized seeds to collect several hundred grams or more of dried buds from a single plant. Depending on the species, plants can grow as tall as 3 meters and as wide as 3 meters. Your plants will be safe from the fall and winter weather if you keep them in a greenhouse. Greenhouse cultivators may be able to cultivate a more varied selection of later-blooming cannabis seeds as a result.

How Long Does The Marijuana Growing Cycle Take In Greenhouse: Beginner’s Guide

The typical weed plant has a growth period of four to eight months. Germination of a marijuana seed can take up to seven days. The vegetative stage, during which the plant develops leaves and stems, typically lasts between three and eight weeks.

The flowering stage of the plant begins anywhere between 5 and 16 weeks after the seedling stage. Harvesting, drying, and curing can take another 2–4 weeks after that, so farmers plan accordingly. This is just a rough estimate, and the actual time it takes for marijuana to mature in a greenhouse depends on many variables beyond the control of the grower.

Science has uncovered a plethora of factors that can affect the quality of cannabis grown indoors, including but not limited to: lighting, carbon dioxide levels, humidity, growing medium, nutrient supply, management practices, and post-harvest treatment.

Marijuana life cycle in the greenhouse

The results could differ from the ones provided above. Ten days is a typical time frame for germination, three weeks for the appearance of seedlings, 16 weeks for the vegetative stage, and 11 weeks for the flowering stage. The advantage of growing in a greenhouse is that you can manipulate the vegetative or flowering stage by moving the plants outside during the summer.

The main benefit of growing marijuana in a greenhouse is that you can induce flowering in the plants at an earlier time. In contrast to spring or summer planting, fall is the best time to reap the benefits of indoor gardening. To induce your plants to begin flowering earlier in the year, restrict their exposure to light during the summer.

The crops can be gathered in before the fall weather turns cold and wet. You should start flowering your marijuana plants in the summer if you live in an area that experiences these conditions. As an added bonus, the greenhouse can be outfitted with supplemental lighting and heating systems to keep the plants safe and productive all the way through the fall and winter.

Indica vs. sativa growing cycle

Keep in mind that marijuana refers to the usable parts of the cannabis plant, including the seeds, leaves, and flowers. Now we can talk about the differences between Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica. Knowing that these two develop differently in a greenhouse is essential.

When comparing the two, it’s clear that indica is the quicker and less labor-intensive option. It’s because its blooming time is shorter. The compact nature of the Indica plant makes it ideal for indoor growing, and short cycle times mean a higher yield is possible.

In contrast, sativa typically grows taller but yields less than indica plants of the same type. The length of time it takes to bloom is also lengthened. As the greenhouse can be easily adapted to new conditions, the final decision is still up to you.

How long do hybrid marijuana strains grow in a greenhouse?

Marijuana hybrids could be another area of interest for you. The genetic hybrid of indica and sativa gives this marijuana rapid vegetative growth and a short flowering time. Therefore, during the vegetative phase, it is similar to sativa, but the flowering phase is much shorter in hybrids, more like indica.

Greenhouse cultivation of cannabis seeds. Using pots vs planting directly into the ground

There are two primary types of greenhouse growers: those who use plant pots and those who plant their cannabis seeds directly in the ground. When visitors, severe weather, or other problems arise, it is simple to relocate plant pots. However, you’ll have to water and feed your plants more often if you keep them in containers. In extremely hot weather, a cannabis plant grown in a 10 liter container will need to be watered every day. If you’re going to be away and can’t check on your plants, that could be troublesome.

If, however, the floor of your greenhouse is made of paving stones, you may find that humidity is less of an issue. A further benefit of container gardening is that the grower has greater say over the proportion of soil-to-plant material.

Some greenhouse growers even use fully automated systems (like AutoPots, Blumats, drippers, etc.) to water and feed their cannabis plants. Cannabis can be cultivated in a greenhouse using soil, coco fiber, or another grow medium.

Plants with their roots still in the ground can’t be uprooted and moved, but they’ll be fine for a week or two without your care. No longer will you have to worry about watering your plants every day. If the soil in your greenhouse is rich and moist, your cannabis plants will send out extensive root systems, allowing them to grow into massive plants capable of producing abundant harvests. If, however, the soil underneath the greenhouse is of low quality, it should be replaced with new soil before plants can be grown there. To ensure the best possible soil quality for the following year’s crop, serious greenhouse growers will dig in a lot of manure and compost at the end of each growing season. By not limiting the plant’s root space, direct soil-rooting allows for the development of massively sized plants. It’s one strategy for achieving bumper crops. Growing a single plant from the best cannabis seeds can cause some greenhouse growers to reach capacity. If this occurs, you can try low-stress training to bring in the overhanging branches. Some growers have gone so far as to remove greenhouse roof panels because the plant was growing too quickly for them to keep up with it. Growing plants with their roots buried in the ground can be done with the help of automated feeding systems like drippers and the like.

Growing Marijuana In A Greenhouse: The Definitive Guide - ILGM

How To Extend The Growing Season For Marijuana In The Greenhouse

Now that you know how long it takes for marijuana to complete its life cycle in a greenhouse, you may be wondering how long you can make it last. Simple greenhouse gardening at the beginning of the season will do the trick. This is made possible by the fact that, as the day goes on, the temperature inside will rise above that of the outside.

What would be the point of a longer greenhouse marijuana growing season? In addition to better flowering, a longer vegetative phase means better overall growth. Because of this, the quality of your harvest will increase simply because you began the growing season earlier.

As the growing season is prolonged, the plants will have a better chance to reach their full potential in terms of size. The large size of these plants means they can produce abundant, high-quality buds. However, if you want to achieve this goal, you’ll need to be vigilant about keeping the indoor conditions in good shape. You definitely don’t want the temperature to drop to below freezing overnight.

Why you should consider growing in a greenhouse

The setup challenges of an indoor grow room are avoided when a greenhouse is used to cultivate marijuana plants. The indoor growing method is preferred by many because it provides a safer and more consistent environment for the marijuana plants than the outdoors.

It’s the ideal situation, especially for northern growers, because it incorporates the best of the natural elements while also providing protection from the worst.

Greenhouses can be heated to an even higher temperature if necessary, even though they generate some heat on their own. If you want to cultivate marijuana for recreational and/or medical purposes and a greenhouse is an option for you, you should definitely look into it.

If you want to learn more about advanced growing techniques, I highly recommend downloading my free Grow Bible.

Greenhouse-grown weed is renowned for its increased potency, so if you start with high-quality seeds, you should harvest some excellent buds at the end of the growing season. This is why many people are opting for greenhouses instead of traditional indoor or outdoor grow spaces.

Outdoor or greenhouse?

Sometimes it’s hard for growers to decide whether they want an outdoor setup or a greenhouse for their marijuana plants. The case is even stronger for those who have been cultivating their plants outdoors with a minimal amount of attention.

They basically just let nature take its course, and their marijuana plants thrive as a result.

The investment required to purchase and maintain a greenhouse may seem daunting to these farmers. Rather than forcing growth, why not just let the plants develop naturally?

Think about all the drawbacks associated with outdoor cultivation as you ponder this question. Every year, your marijuana crop is at risk of being destroyed by unforeseen weather conditions, pests and diseases, and even more dangerous, human marijuana thieves. Do you care if your marijuana plants thrive this year?

Pests like small insects are more likely to be a problem when growing marijuana in a greenhouse than larger animals like deer, rabbits, pets, and birds. Your plant life will be much safer in this environment than if it were left exposed to the elements.

If you follow the “hide in plain sight” principle, a greenhouse is also a safe place. In a well-maintained garden, nobody will be the wiser if you secretly grow some marijuana plants in among the other species.

Grow more than a few marijuana plants in among your “regular” plants if you live in a more rural area. The stronger odor is the most important factor to consider here.

Greenhouse growing 101

There are two common methods for cultivating marijuana indoors. Each plant will be grown in its own pot or container, or it will be planted in the ground. There are benefits and drawbacks to each choice; making a decision will depend on how well it fits into your daily routine.

Concerned with deciding which seeds would thrive in a greenhouse environment? Pick some seeds out of my extensive collection.

If you decide to grow your plants in containers, you’ll appreciate how simple they are to relocate whenever you need to. This is helpful if you have a lot of visitors (with whom you probably shouldn’t share your growing operation), as you can simply reposition the plants to a different area. Extreme weather is another reason to relocate your container plants.

However, if you opt to plant your marijuana seeds directly into the ground, they will do best if left alone for a week or more. However, this is only the case if they are planted in high-quality soil; otherwise, the original soil should be removed and replaced with new soil.

Some forward-thinking greenhouse farmers have a third option at their disposal: hydroponics. It’s been a huge success for those who have tried it in a greenhouse, so it could be a smart move if it works with your preferences and background.

Setting Up A Cannabis Grow - Greenhouse Product News

The importance of genetics

The most crucial piece of advice is this: invest in good marijuana seeds regardless of what else you do. Spending a little more now can give you peace of mind this growing season.

However, if you opt to save money and buy low-quality seeds instead, your plants will never thrive like they would with better starter material.

Don’t forget to use good soil when planting these premium seeds. This will provide your plants with the ideal early boost they need to set the stage for robust development all the way through flowering. Greenhouse plants are known for their enormous size, but without these two components, your plant will never grow to that level of maturity.

Think of each seed as a separate investment. If you grow your seeds properly, you can get enough marijuana to last you an entire year from just a few seeds. When framed in this way, it becomes clear how important it is to give each seed your undivided attention.

Maximizing your setup

Computerized processes
The ability to fully automate complex greenhouse growing setups is a major benefit. That is to say, the grower may not have to tend to their plants as frequently, making their job much simpler. A watering system is one example of an automated system because it supplies water to the plants without the grower having to do much.

If you are the type of person who enjoys planning ahead, has a large enough budget for it, and doesn’t enjoy the daily tasks of the marijuana plant care as much as the setting them up, you may want to consider installing some automated systems of your own.

Security

Using white shading paint on the exterior of the greenhouse is a good way to conceal your marijuana plants from prying eyes if the greenhouse is not in a hidden or private location. You can pick one of these up at your local garden center, and it serves the double purpose of keeping your greenhouse from overheating on the hottest days of the summer. If your greenhouse is painted, nosy neighbors won’t be able to see what you’re cultivating inside.

A word of advice: if you want to know more about growing marijuana in a greenhouse, make sure to get a copy of my free Grow Bible.

If you only want to cultivate a couple of marijuana plants, you can always pretend to grow tomatoes and conceal your illicit crop behind a layer of green plastic plant mesh.

Start growing earlier in the season

Growing marijuana indoors has many advantages, but to get the most out of them this year you should get a head start on the growing season. Once the sun comes out, the greenhouse will become significantly warmer than the outside air, allowing for this to happen.

An extended period of vegetative growth is possible for marijuana plants if the growing season is kicked off earlier. The marijuana plants will be more robust and mature when given more time during the vegetation phase. And that means a better harvest for you at the end of the day.

The key to success is making sure the greenhouse doesn’t get too cold at night in the beginning of the growing season. Greenhouse heaters, available at any garden center, can be set up and used during the nighttime hours to combat the chill.

Among the many advantages of growing marijuana in a greenhouse, the ability to extend the growing season is a major draw for many growers. Assuming the seed genetics, soil, and other care aspects are all good, these plants have the potential to grow to be much larger than their outdoor counterparts.

Some growers, despite only having room for one large plant in their greenhouse, have reported harvests of hundreds of grams of premium buds from a single plant. If the plant gets too wild, it may try to escape through any open windows in your greenhouse, so you’ll need to take some measures to “tame” it. Tying techniques are ideal for this task.

Growing massive marijuana plants is a welcome challenge, but it can also present some challenges. Marijuana plants that have been grown in a greenhouse to their full potential will be quite tall and bushy. This is especially true if you have been providing your plants with a large amount of root space in the soil, high-quality soil, and plenty of sunlight. In other words, plan for the worst.

Using a darkening system

It is common practice for greenhouse farmers to employ a “darkening” system, which, if properly installed, should render the greenhouse completely dark even in the middle of the day. The purpose of a room darkening system is to coax your marijuana plants into entering flowering earlier by creating conditions similar to shorter days and longer uninterrupted nights.

This expensive addition will guarantee that you get your weed much faster than if you waited for natural sunlight conditions to change throughout the season. Having 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of sunlight every day without fail will “trick” your plants into entering flowering season early.

How to Grow Cannabis in a Greenhouse: A Guide - RQS Blog

Most importantly, you must maintain complete and utter darkness throughout this entire procedure. There should be some early blossoms after doing this for a few weeks.

Extending the end of the growing season

Keeping your cannabis indoors in a greenhouse is a great way to extend the growing season for your plants. Many farmers extend the harvest season by taking advantage of this phenomenon.

The main reason a greenhouse is helpful in this way is that it keeps the air around the plants (that is, the air inside the greenhouse) nice and toasty warm when the sun is shining, even as the cooler temperatures of autumn begin to set in.

General good care for long term success

If you’re just trying to grow the best weed possible, there are a few things you should keep in mind to ensure your plants thrive year after year.

First, when starting a new growing season, it’s important to add fresh, healthy soil of high quality. It’s not acceptable to make a one-time purchase and then reuse it endlessly.

Just as you would with an indoor garden, you should maintain a spotless greenhouse. In the event that pests or diseases do make contact with your marijuana plants, this will help keep them at bay.

Fencing installed in key locations (while remaining as unobtrusive as possible) can deter trespassers and protect your greenhouse’s precious plants and the people who care for them. It will also benefit anyone who happens upon it by looking into or around your greenhouse, which increases your safety.

Purchasing a greenhouse at this time allows for careful consideration of the type of greenhouse to buy. For example, many modern polycarbonate greenhouses feature opaque walls and lockable doors. This will prevent anyone from seeing, or touching, your prized cannabis plants. The good news is that greenhouses of all shapes and sizes can be purchased for a reasonable price.

Having more than a couple of marijuana plants in your garden will produce a strong odor. Because of the greenhouse’s higher humidity, the odor will be more pronounced than in a typical indoor marijuana setup, and a carbon filter won’t be able to do much to mitigate it. Only an in-line ozone generator can remove the odor if it is a serious problem.

After deciding to cultivate plants in a greenhouse, the next step is to select appropriate seeds. Obtain premium marijuana seeds from my seed bank for optimal growth.

Which type of greenhouse should you buy?

If you have settled on a greenhouse but are wondering what to do next, you can rest easy knowing that the process is straightforward. All you have to do is decide which one you want to put your money into.

Is cheaper better?

Put simply, no. Greenhouses are not an area in which saving money pays off. Low-quality, easily-moved greenhouses are cheap for a reason: they won’t produce optimal results.

The greenhouse could be dislodged by strong winds. Your cannabis plants will be completely roasted if the afternoon heat is too high. You won’t save any money if you do this.

Attached greenhouses

Lean-to greenhouses are the most common kind of attached greenhouse. Lean-to greenhouses are exactly what they sound like: greenhouses that lean against your home or another structure. These greenhouses are half the size of a standard greenhouse, making them particularly efficient because they capture any heat that escapes through your home’s walls, keeping your plants even warmer without any additional effort on your part.

If you only want to grow a few plants, or if you don’t have enough yard space for a full-sized free-standing greenhouse, a lean-to greenhouse may be your best option. As an added bonus, they save money on materials thanks to the fact that one of the greenhouse’s walls already exists. Attached greenhouses have one drawback in that they can only be placed where the wall is that they will be leaning against.

Freestanding greenhouses

Free-standing greenhouses, like houses, typically take on a pyramidal shape. Remember that the sun cannot shine through wood or aluminum, so shade will be produced by these, as is often the case with their frames.

A thicker frame will provide more insulation in your greenhouse. Don’t get a greenhouse with a really thick frame, as this will reduce the amount of light reaching your plants.

Greenhouses that are free to stand on their own, also called detached greenhouses, are highly versatile because they can be set up almost anywhere. They can be placed anywhere, unlike attached greenhouses, which limit your ability to provide optimal growing conditions. Given that A-frames and even-spans are the most common types of freestanding greenhouses, those terms are commonly used to describe them.

Connected greenhouses

Multiple greenhouses that are joined together to form a larger structure is called a connected greenhouse. They are useful for industrial purposes because it is then possible to transform a sizable area into a single growing medium for many plants. This system keeps the temperature and other environmental factors consistent, reducing operating and energy costs.

Polytunnels

Even though polytunnels are typically associated with industrial farming, smaller sizes that are better suited to residential use are also available. Their curved aluminum framework is covered in polythene to create a solid shape.

Since polytunnels are typically less expensive than other types of greenhouses, this is one way to reduce the initial outlay for your greenhouse marijuana growing operation. However, every three to five years, you’ll need to replace the polythene sheet.

Cold frames

Cold frames are inexpensive and climate-controlled, often made at home by the grower, and serve as one of the smaller, more temporary counterparts to the other types of greenhouses. Simple plastic or wood frames are covered with glass or plastic to create this look.

Plate glass is the best option for keeping the elements out, while thick plastic will prevent tearing and keep the temperature stable. Because they rely solely on the sun for warmth, cold frames aren’t ideal for areas with erratic or extreme temperatures.

What is the impact of light on Cannabis production? – Hort Americas

Hotbeds

When a cold frame is outfitted with a heating system, it is transformed into a hotbed. Like cold frames, the size of a hotbed is completely up to the grower. A grow room can range in size from a large box for a single plant to a large structure with plenty of room for the grower to walk around.

However, one of the above, more permanent and reliable options is usually the better choice if you want to have a large, climate-controlled structure.

Sizing

The second consideration is how big of a greenhouse you want to build. Buying a greenhouse that is one size larger than what you had in mind was originally considered a good rule of thumb.

You’ll have a bit more room to work in, and if there’s room to spare, you can use it to keep gardening tools and supplies out of the way.

Diffused or clear coverings or panels

Whether you want diffused or semi-diffused coverings or panels for your greenhouse, or clear panels instead, is another factor to think about before making your purchase. Despite what you might expect, choosing diffused or at least semi-diffused is usually a good idea.

Because of the increased amount of sunlight that can penetrate through the clear panels, your plants will thrive even in the earliest, most delicate stages of their development. Greenhouses with this type of paneling will be slightly warmer than those with diffused paneling.

Diffused or semi-diffused lighting is preferable, though. Diffused light is less likely to be competed for by the plants as they mature, so you won’t have to worry about hot spots appearing in your greenhouse. Your plants will grow more uniformly thanks to the more consistent lighting, and you’ll get a better overall harvest as a result.

Don’t forget: ventilation in the greenhouse

Maintaining an optimal temperature in a greenhouse is a significant challenge when growing marijuana. In particular, those who have never grown anything before in a greenhouse will find the climate to be very unfamiliar, as it is very different from either an indoor marijuana grow facility or an outdoor grow area.

The trick is to regulate the temperature of your greenhouse so that it stays warm during cold weather and cool during hot weather. Therefore, careful consideration of ventilation needs to be given when selecting a greenhouse. Basically, you need vents in the glazing to maintain a healthy growing environment for your marijuana plants.

Take a total area reading of all the vents. Get more vents if this is less than or equal to one-fifth of the greenhouse’s floor area.

If you don’t have a way to properly ventilate your greenhouse, your plants will overheat and die on hot days. A perfect greenhouse would have openings on both the roof (to allow air to escape) and the floor (to allow fresh air to be brought in).

A better growing experience can be had with automatic vent openers as opposed to manually operated vents. It’s a straightforward device that uses wax, which expands in warmth and contracts in coolness, to measure temperature.

Warning: if you want to learn more about greenhouses, you should get my free Grow Bible.

The temperature triggers the opening and closing of the vent. It will give you peace of mind that the greenhouse will maintain a steady temperature without your constant attention.

Some greenhouse designs may also benefit from exhaust fans, providing yet another line of defense against the heat.

Choosing the right greenhouse location

When deciding where to put your greenhouse, many environmental factors should be taken into account. Your greenhouse should ideally be located where the plants inside can get at least five and preferably seven hours of sunlight daily.

To maximize this effect, turn the greenhouse so that the southern side faces the sun. Keep in mind that more exposure to sunlight will typically result in a greater harvest.

Another perk of letting in as much early morning sunlight as possible is that it helps keep mold at bay. Mold can form on the buds of your marijuana plants if dew gets trapped in them in the morning. This can continue to happen over the course of several days or weeks.

However, if you have early morning sunlight, it will help keep these moisture levels down to a minimum, though you should still make sure your greenhouse has adequate ventilation.

Growing marijuana in a greenhouse: the basics

It’s time to get down to business and start cultivating marijuana in a greenhouse. The only things you’ll need to do to get your garden up and running are pick the right strain (one that will thrive in your area’s climate) and collect some good soil.

All over the Northern Hemisphere, April is the month where seeds should be planted. By midway through the month of May, you’ll have enough time to transfer them to your greenhouse. Start them off indoors under a propagation light, and gradually increase the amount of time they spend outside each day until they are thriving in full sunlight.

It’s like getting a light tan before a beach vacation, or taking a series of short hikes at high altitude to get your body used to the conditions before attempting a long mountain ascent.

After the longest day of the year has passed, your plants will begin entering the flowering stage and remain in the vegetative stage throughout the rest of May and June. As the days get shorter, the plant “notices” that less light will reach its leaves, and in response, it initiates flowering in an effort to pollinate and produce seeds before the light completely fades.

Depending on the strain, marijuana plants can take anywhere from eight to twelve weeks to bloom (unless you’re using a technique to speed up or slow down the process). The harvest season, then, will span the months of September, October, and November.

Accounting for the weather

Growing marijuana in a climate with similar conditions to England’s (less sunlight, more rain) may require the use of autoflowering seeds rather than the more traditional photoperiod varieties. In case you are unfamiliar, autoflowering plants are those that initiate flowering at a predetermined time rather than in response to a shift in the plant’s environmental light levels.

Grown in a greenhouse, autoflowering marijuana plants are an excellent choice for these climates. Plant them when the soil is warm, give them 60 to 90 days to mature (depending on the variety you bought), and they will bloom beautifully every time. Accordingly, you should anticipate less substantial vegetation. But, obviously, you couldn’t anticipate monster buds ultimately with such a challenging climate.

Growing autoflowering marijuana plants in a greenhouse allows for multiple harvests in a single growing season due to the plants’ shorter life cycle. If you timed your harvests just right, you could get two harvests out of the same season. The greater quantity of your harvests will more than make up for the lower yield and size of your plants.

Adding extra lighting

Every form of artificial illumination, besides sunlight, is categorized as greenhouse lighting. This lighting scheme will resemble that of a typical indoor grow room in most respects. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of installing supplementary lighting in your greenhouse before making a final decision one way or the other.

First, supplemental lighting can be helpful if your plants require a longer period of sunlight (such as seedlings or clones) or if you want to delay flowering in a particular group of plants after the length of daylight has decreased to the point where it would occur anyway.

If you’re increasing lighting because of the former, you’ll also need a way to separate the plants you’re focusing on from the ones that can continue growing in the natural light.

You may also need supplemental lighting if you’re cultivating marijuana during the winter, when the days are shorter and natural light isn’t sufficient for a full growing cycle. More harvests will be produced if more growing cycles can be crammed into a year and a greenhouse. And that means your expensive investments (the greenhouse and the additional lights) will return to you in a shorter period of time.

When lighting your greenhouse, HID lights are the best choice for your marijuana plants. To ensure your marijuana plants get the recommended 12 hours of light per day, you should start using the HID lights when the daylight hours drop below 10 per day.

In a greenhouse, you can save money and time by avoiding the pitfalls of outdoor cultivation in the dead of winter. Due to the limited amount of sunlight available during the winter, you are able to keep your lights off for longer periods of time every day. Your monthly energy bill (and the price of new light bulbs) will go down proportionally to the amount of time you spend using your lamps. To use your reasoning, it’s puzzling that more people don’t cultivate marijuana year-round in greenhouses.

Growing Marijuana In A Greenhouse FAQ

Can you use a greenhouse in the winter?

In spite of outside temperatures of zero degrees, the interior of a greenhouse will not freeze, making it an ideal place to overwinter your plants. You can keep your crops warm enough to harvest well even in the winter by using a number of techniques, not just the sun.

Does my greenhouse need ventilation?

Allowing outside air into your greenhouse is essential. It’s a crucial part of any productive greenhouse. A number of issues can arise for the plants in greenhouses if they are not adequately ventilated. Ventilation serves multiple functions: it prevents the greenhouse from overheating, it removes excess moisture, and it adds carbon dioxide to the air. In addition, a well-ventilated greenhouse reduces the risk of pest infestation and enhances the process of pollination.

How do you keep a greenhouse warm without electricity?

Heating a greenhouse without using electricity is possible in a number of different ways. Natural thermal masses, such as water barrels or dark stones, compost, paraffin heaters, and even chickens, can be used in addition to solar panels.

A primer on growing greenhouse weed | Weedmaps

Conclusion

The advantages of growing marijuana indoors mean that this method is quickly replacing the more labor-intensive and risky practice of growing the plants outdoors. But how long does it take for a crop of marijuana to mature inside a greenhouse? It may take anywhere from four to eight months, depending on how other variables play out.

In a greenhouse, the growing season can be prolonged, and the plants can even start flowering earlier. The former will let you reap the benefits before the challenges of autumn, while the latter will give you more robust vegetation and a better harvest.