I’ve been reading some thought in this on Reddit, lately, and I’m not so sure I buy the idea that seeds grown in the same style the mother was used to makes any difference other than the differences you typically see between different growing methods. IMO, if there was a noticeable difference, that would mean that the plant is evolving to its environment in a single generation, and that seems pretty unlikely to me. Totally just my opinion, though, and I’m definitely no expert on how plants evolve.
A research level question! What effect does media have on the final product? Science probably doesn’t have data to support an answer because money don’t go to plants. Plants are also some of the most difficult and time consuming research subjects. I will google for it, but let me share some problems I see.
1) Air, Water, Nutrients, Light
In order to really compare this, you’d have to grow in the exact same environmental conditions. Humdity, temp, water temp, pH, media pH, Nutrient Levels, Light Intensity and maybe more.
2) Media is manufactured. Rockwool cubes can differ from the next, one scoop of soil from the other, etc. The same coco brick even. You get the idea.
3) Clones can mutate. Tissue culture would be best to compare unless the plant is being cloned from seed for the first time. Even then TC is better.
My experience
I have grown with clones true outdoor, outdoor in a metal shed, indoor organic soil water only, indoor coco and indoor rockwool.
Major hydro vs soil difference:
Hydro plants tend to finish a bit faster, ~5-7 days
Hydro plants give you more control
Hydro plants fade faster and earlier, meaning more faded/dark final product. September/October cold in Michigan did not provide a radical fade like my 68F day/60F night temperatures in the flower room. Even the shed grown in the same conditions with an HPS lamp only faded about half as well as indoor, maybe less. This could be due to perfect nitrogen levels, faster wet/dry cycling, but I’m not sure.
Indoor organic soil plants finished well but most clones faded a bit less than expected. I did not have cookies cuts back then but was growing Topanga Canyon x purple punch, several chocolate diesel crosses, gg4xKatsuBubba, and a few more that should fade more.
I felt that controlled hydro plants turned out denser and higher yielding than soil plants. Potency
seemed higher. I’ll do an organic soil pot in place of a coco next round, same room set up same clone, just to see.
So Where does soil win? TERPENES! Soil plants I have noticed have a slight edge on taste and aroma! With that said, for hydro fulvic/humic/amino acids and/or kelp will keep your shit fire.
I would like to hear others experiences in their opinions on the differences in media. I’d like to hear a researcher’s opinion over my own, but we’ll probs have to wait for that.