On a first run in virgin soil, yes you definitely get much larger yields. But you also get a chemmy sauce of a product. Hydro is not an option. Those days are long gone. I run Living Organic Soil, and my SoG is in recycled LOS. First run will be a little weak on yields for sure. But this is a NO TILL system, which does yield just as well as hydro from second run onwards. We have technologies and techniques available to us as organic growers that hydro can never have, like live enzymes, ACT, SST, and bringing a plant to full genetic potential with no risk of genetic drift. Hydro is history... no bottles or synthetics needed... ever...
Sorry guys this isn't about a Sog. More so about what Mad Hamish said.
Yeah here in Colorado, no one uses hydro anymore. It's all organic soil with compost teas and "super soils". It's the little guys in the soil putting in the work. Nutes are a multi-million if not billion dollar industry. Marijuana has been growing in soil working with the micros for a long time...call it a symbiotic relationship. I've never seen a hydro setup produce a 6+ pound marijuana plant. Outdoor California grows in LOS produce the biggest plants that I've seen outside of natural "Landrace" strains grown in a natural LOS. I agree that a great "Supersoil" with the right micro life will out produce any other medium. As you said, you can't use these live enzymes in a hydro set up and I believe the plant will never reach it's full potential without the micro biological life in the soil breaking down the soil naturally. Plus these micros keep the bad fungi and molds away as well as break down the nutrients in the soil to a level that the plant has been working with for millions of years. Rain water with no major nutrient content has been producing the chrons for EVER! It's all about the soil.
Although, don't just jump on a Subcool thread and start making "Supersoil". Especially if you do not have a good understanding of what is really going on. It's easy to make a "hot" soil, or an off balanced soil ( Ph too low or too high ), Even if you use someone's exact specs. Funny that it all comes full circle. First weed grew in soil, then man said here's a better way, and for a time it was good...Now most of the masters have returned to soil with a greater understanding of the ideal conditions.
All of this is just food for thought.
The only bottle of stuff you might want to invest in is organic black strap molasses.