Tight Buds- Indoor vs Outdoor

[OldManGrower]

Hi farmers. I've been an indoor grower for the past 10 grows and am trying to raise a plant outside this year. So far, so good. One of the things that I've struggled with during indoor grow is to achieve tight buds like you buy at the dispensary. Most of the times they are firm, but not tight. My friends say don't worry since the end results are great.

From what I have read, achieving tight buds require the right temp/lighting, nutrients, and humidity, all have to be controlled at various stages during flowering. Of course it also strain dependent. My tent is in my garage, so it is tough to have everything controlled correctly at different times such as humidity. But that brings me to the question about outdoor growing. Since everything except nutrients cannot be controlled, does this mean that there is much less chance at having tight buds with outdoor growing? Are the only ones sold to dispensaries grown indoors?

 

[Captspaulding]

For me as long as I always keep the rh in my grow area 40-50% during flower, as well as keeping the lighting tuned. I’ve always gotten dense colas regardless of strain, this is just my experience though. Indo of coarse.

 

[OldManGrower]

Thanks for your reply. Your buds are very impressive and I also believe RH is very important. I have my tent in the garage and I struggle with using the humidifier or the dehumidifier during the grow process.
I also know that RH decreases in the final weeks of flowering, which may be my problem.
But going back to my original question, since RH can’t be controlled in an outside grow, does that mean that you can’t grow hard buds outdoors?

 

[Captspaulding]

Thanks for your reply. Your buds are very impressive and I also believe RH is very important. I have my tent in the garage and I struggle with using the humidifier or the dehumidifier during the grow process.
I also know that RH decreases in the final weeks of flowering, which may be my problem.
But going back to my original question, since RH can’t be controlled in an outside grow, does that mean that you can’t grow hard buds outdoors?

I’ve personally smoked, but not grown some pretty dense outdoor nugs, 1st to come to mind is some of that classic Mendocino herb. Nice tight, cured dense. But still slightly airy.

 

[OldManGrower]

Thanks again. If I could ask one more question- you mentioned "keeping the lighting tuned." Are you using an LED that has adjustments for various stages of growing? I'm using California Lightworks SolarExtreme 500. No adjustments are needed. Just hang it 24" above during veg and 18" during flowering.

 

[Captspaulding]

Thanks again. If I could ask one more question- you mentioned "keeping the lighting tuned." Are you using an LED that has adjustments for various stages of growing? I'm using California Lightworks SolarExtreme 500. No adjustments are needed. Just hang it 24" above during veg and 18" during flowering.

Indeed, my lights all have adjustments, I used to use some lights very similar to the style you are talking about, where the hang height is the spectrum adjustment, personally I’ve had experience with those, but once I got into multiple plants, I got away from that style. I found it easier in flower to have that ability to adjust over an evenly spread canopy. With no ability to change with a knob I found myself boosting and adjusting heights of plants. Don’t get my wrong, not harping on them, they are damn fine if the leds are quality and the driver is good.

 

[OldManGrower]

Thank you again. Any recommendations you can give me for lights?

 

[Captspaulding]

Thank you again. Any recommendations you can give me for lights?

By all means, I primarily use viparspectra, there is great gear from spider farmer, ac infinity, Mars hydro. I have the viparspectra “p” series 600, 1000, 1500 and 2000, I have multiples of each and they have lasted years. They have a new “xs” series now that I have seen in some forums here. All great stuff.