Growing Marijuana in a High Tunnel or Greenhouse

Whether you’re raising cannabis as a cash crop or just for personal use, you have many options for where and how you grow it. It’s possible to grow pot outdoors, indoors or in a greenhouse or high tunnel.

In many ways, growing marijuana in a greenhouse or high tunnel offers the best option. An outdoor marijuana greenhouse or high tunnel lets you take advantage of some of nature’s benefits, like abundant sun, without having to kneel to nature’s bad side, like frost, storms and deer, rabbits and other pests.

To help you get on your way, DripWorks is happy to provide you some basic tips on how to grow marijuana in a greenhouse or high tunnel.

Greenhouse vs. High Tunnel

First, let’s get some terminology issues out of the way. Greenhouses and high tunnels are similar but not exactly the same.

Like greenhouses, high tunnels shelter plants from the elements. They differ from greenhouses, however, in that they are more passive. Generally, greenhouses provide heat and ventilation through electrical systems, while high tunnels rely on passive ventilation systems for moving air and on the sun for providing warmth.

Of course, that means high tunnels cost significantly less than greenhouses. How much less depends on the options you are looking for. A variety of high tunnel greenhouse kits and traditional greenhouse kits are available for purchase. If you are handy and looking to save, you can also assemble your own high tunnel or greenhouse with some basic materials.

Growing Marijuana in a High Tunnel or Greenhouse

Once you have purchased or built your greenhouse or high tunnel, you’ll need to decide where to put it. Generally, a spot with southern exposure is best. This will provide a steady source of growth-inducing sunlight to your plants. You may also want to locate your high tunnel or greenhouse in an inconspicuous spot to deter thieves, vandals and other troublemakers.

Generally, two basic options are available for growing your pot plants. You can grow each marijuana plant separately in its own container, or you can put the plants in the ground. Using containers will make the plants easier to work with and to move if you want to transplant them.

You can start with marijuana seeds or clones. Whichever you choose, pick the highest-quality stock you can find. This is no place to pinch pennies. Dealing with a reputable company and getting top-notch genetics will help ensure a bountiful crop that’s high in quality as well as quantity.

Consider Your Location

If you live in a climate prone to more clouds than sun, you may want to consider investing in auto-flowering seeds. These will flower in a set time rather than depending on sunlight to spark flowering.

Many folks in northern latitudes start their seeds indoors in April under grow lights and transfer them to a greenhouse in May. Your own schedule will depend on your climate and growing season, of course.

You will want to be sure to give your cannabis plants adequate amounts of water and fertilizer to ensure steady, strong growth throughout the season. A drip irrigation system can supply these essentials reliably and economically. DripWorks.com has an entire section on the best irrigation products to grow cannabis.

Plants will usually begin to flower around the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Flowering will continue for two or three months till they are ready for harvest.

We hope this basic greenhouse marijuana growing guide has been helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to call the irrigation experts at DripWorks toll-free for advice you can trust.