I know this may be a loaded subject, but I’m asking all experienced growers (that have done both), can you get the same results from hydro as from soil if you use specific nutrients?
I can’t wrap my head around that if you did a Hydro Soiless setup and managed to provide all trace nutrients soil has, that it would turn out different or lower quality.
Are there more symbiotic relationships within healthy soil that soil-less just can’t compete with? Would you not just be able to add these beneficial organisms to the Soiless To get the same results?
Great question… If you do it right you shouldn’t be able to tell how it was grown. Hydro grows are best for ROI but organic soil is easier for the average home grower IMHO. The real difference to me is access to clean water &compost which makes symbiosis possible in the first place. You don’t need symbiosis to grow good bud but without it you will need to provide the full range of nutrients whereas with soil you just water them.
The biggest difference is that in living soil the plants take up what they need as they need it through cation exchange; naturally feeding plants feed themselves. In a hydro grow you are force feeding them everything all the time whether they need it or not…kinda wasteful but without fungi to assist with absorption there is no cation exchange; whatever synthetic nutrients you feed them are sucked up directly by the roots. This is why keeping ph in range is important in a soilless grow; so the full range is absorbed. The composition of the soil itself is what keeps ph in range; the water you give does not affect the ph at the root zone.
Whatever synthetic nutrients you feed will eventually be deposited into the flesh of the plant even if you flush. Doesn’t mean they won’t grow good bud but your choice of nutrient line can make a huge difference in end product quality. This is why grapes taste different and have different alcohol content when grown in different regions; it has to do with soil composition, mineral content, amount of rain fall, etc. The quality of the vintage changes from year to year.
So to answer your question many have tried to straddle the line between hydro and organic but it’s usually best going one way or the other. You cannot really introduce too much bacteria or fungi into a sterile hydro grow without causing other issues. There are “bennies” like hydro guard products but these are not symbiotic to cannabis root systems. You can just grow in soil with synthetic nutrients but eventually whatever was alive in the soil will slowly die off leaving your mix essentially sterile. Yes…nutrients cannot really complete with natural symbiosis but that doesn’t mean you cannot grow good quality bud with nutes. I have grown for years with nutrients and had unbelievable yields it’s just that when it was all curing in the jar something always tasted “off”. That’s probably because in my old aero rails & DWC buckets I used cheap Technaflora nutrients that I do not recommend. Botanicare for example is a far superior product line; have done comparisons with a friends bud and detected no trace of anything weird. The quality of the nutrients you use is very important if hydro is your preference.
Once I got a grow off in natural soil I never went back; it is just so much easier to get very good quality bud with zero effort other than just watering. No checking ph/ppms and no hassle carrying heavy buckets all over the house. I literally water my plants with dehumidifier water I used to dump down the drain. I have a worm bin that provides free castings without which my grow wouldn’t be as easily sustainable.
It’s not that one way is “better” than the other it’s really about what works for you in your own situation. If you want the best tasting bud possible with minimal efforts learn about living soil and aquire a source of active compost. If huge yields are your aim and all you have access to is city tap water invest in some decent nutes & go hydro.
,Ive grow both and yes hydro has a cleaner room.No dirt 
