There are cannabis seeds for indoors, and seeds for outdoors but what if you are looking for greenhouse cannabis seeds? Well you need to get cannabis seed strains that are best suited to grow in a greenhouse setting. In this article we will detail what to look for when you are buying greenhouse cannabis seeds.
There are certain characteristics that you should be trying to get when buying these types of seeds from your local cannabis seedbank.
What’s So Different Growing Greenhouse Cannabis Seeds?
While growing in a greenhouse is a very nice middle ground to growing either fully outdoors or fully indoors there are a few differences to take note of. First you do not have the same control over the environment in a greenhouse that you would have growing indoors. It will be much more difficult to control the heat and humidity in the summer time as opposed to growing cannabis plants directly indoors.
However with more heat and humidity in the springtime, it can actually be easier to grow greenhouse cannabis seeds. The added heat and humidity can help the cannabis seeds germinate faster and get a very strong start to their seedling stage of growth. The natural light from the sun can also help keep the cannabis seedlings from stretching. If your cannabis seedlings are falling or bending over we recommend reading this guide.
One great benefit to starting your cannabis seeds in a greenhouse, will be the lack of pests. Outdoors you can run into many pest issues when starting your cannabis seeds. Anything from mice, or other rodents digging up your precious seeds to birds pulling them out of the ground after they have germinated can be prevented when germinating cannabis seeds in a cannabis greenhouse.
Is Growing Greenhouse Cannabis Seeds Considered Indoors?
When Growing cannabis seeds in a greenhouse is more like growing outdoors than indoors in our opinion. Growing indoors you will need to provide artificial lighting for your plants to grow and thrive. Growing greenhouse cannabis seeds you will be using natural sunlight which is much cheaper, and will actually provide a stronger lighting source in the sun. Greenhouse growing generally will also give the grower a better terpene profit for their finished cannabis buds.
For many growers growing in a greenhouse can also be much more affordable then growing indoors. While you will have far more control growing cannabis seeds indoors, this will also come with much higher electrical growing costs.
Do you Need Special Greenhouse Cannabis Seeds?
Yes, generally it is better to grow marijuana seeds that were bred for greenhouse growing. These seeds should have phenotypes that are suited to grow best in greenhouse environments. Some of these phenotypes include:
- Higher Heat Tolerance, suited to growing in higher average humidity
- Have high mold, bud rot and powdery mildew resistance
- Can be grown and trimmed at a lower height than outdoors, but still taller than indoors
What Greenhouse Cannabis Seeds do we Recommend?
Below are seed strains that we recommend to growers to get the best results growing in a greenhouse growing environment.
- Canadian Sunshine Seeds – These seeds are well suited to growing in a greenhouse because of their high heat tolerance and great mold and bud rot resistance. They also have a shorter growing season and finish in a greenhouse well before the weather starts to get colder in northern climates.
- Grape Punch Seeds – Great seeds when growing in higher temperatures, these seeds will be easy to grow and have very high yields in a greenhouse. These seeds will grow to an average high so they will fit into any average sized greenhouse.
- Sour Fruit Cake – This strain will grow great outdoors as well as in a greenhouse. Has a beautiful purple color that will come out inside a greenhouse. Nice dense buds with good mold resistance. This is also another medium height indica that will grow very well in warmer greenhouses in the summer.
What Makes a Great Greenhouse for Seed Germination
First and foremost a greenhouse needs to have a great ventilation system to move air in and out of the system. This will help to keep the air moving around your germinating seeds and cannabis seedlings. Starting your seeds in a greenhouse is very easy however as there is more humidity trapped in there, the seed starting medium can sometimes be more damp then needed. It is a great idea to have a fan blowing air over your plants and seed starting medium to prevent any anaerobic bacteria from attacking your seeds.
A good irrigation system is another must have in a greenhouse seeds starting setting. You never want your seeds to dry out when starting them, so making sure they are watered when needed is an important part to germination. Once they have sprouted out of the seed starting mixes you will also need to keep them watered with this system while they grow to harvest.
What Size Greenhouse do you need to Start Cannabis Seeds?
To start greenhouse cannabis seeds in the spring, the good news is that you only need a very small one. Any small greenhouse big enough to place your seed trays under plastic will work great for seedling germination. Any area of 5 X 5 would work well for growing cannabis seedlings. This space will keep your seeds warm, and provide a free place for them other than using an indoor growing light for germination. As it will be warmer the seeds will also tend to germinate faster in this little greenhouse.
A larger walk in the greenhouse will work just as well with the added benefit of being able to tend to your seeds directly without removing them from the greenhouse as in the previous example. Really any size greenhouse will work well for starting and growing greenhouse cannabis seeds.
Should you Start Cannabis Outdoor or a Greenhouse?
Since we never recommend starting cannabis seeds directly outdoors, (unless you have thousands of them) then starting your valuable seeds in a greenhouse is a much better option for most growers. By starting them in a greenhouse as opposed to outdoors in the spring you will have better lighting controls, can control the weather, save energy starting seeds.
