Debating the soil vs coco decision. I’m reading and researching. Coco has lots of advantages, it seems, but the one claim I keep running into is that cannabis grown in soil tastes better. I have lots of wants in my list of priorities, but taste is number one. Does anyone here have opinions on this? Thanks!
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OH MAN @Thumos have you opened up one of the biggest friendly arguments between Hydro and soil growers… I grew in soil and now in Hydro and I like Hydro much better for taste and effects
let the fur fly…
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I’ve never grown hydro so have no experience to base an opinion but am very interested in the outcome from this little question lol
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I was convinced to go coco or bubbleponics, but the claim that soil-grown cannabis tastes better gave me pause. I began researching that exact question, and it came up time and again. I know the internet is the wild west in terms of quality of info, but I like this community here, and I thought I’d ask it directly to those whose opinions I value. Ease-of-grow, potency and yield all matter to me, but quality (in terms of taste/smell) is king for me as I only grow for myself and I don’t actually need much in terms of quantity.
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The only scientific evidence I’ve seen says organic living soil is best for taste, smell and thc but not in total yield. I thought I had the link to the actual report done by greenhouse or a screenshot but I can’t find it right now, I have thousands of pages of notes that are so unorganized 
I know it’s out there I’ve seen it… I’m guessing greenhouse took it down because they were getting kickback from nutrient advertisers
Copy paste from my notes
Even better than giving your plant organic nutrients is to grow with your roots in a living soil. In other words, this is a type of soil with an active colony of microorganisms. It is like the soil a plant would be using in nature, only it’s even better because it’s been amended with exactly the right kind of nutrients and supplements. We did a side-by-side with clones grown in Nature’s Living Super Soil vs coco, and found in lab tests that the super soil buds had higher THC and terpene levels. Although the differences weren’t huge and there could be other factors at play, it’s possible that super soil growing may lead to cannabis buds that smell better.
Greenhouse Seeds was leading the way in cannabis terpene and terpenoid research by growing cannabis in a variety of ways and then directly measuring the terpene content in the buds. They have found that while hydroponic grows tend to get much higher yields (with the exception of a few Indica strains), soil-grown buds tend to have a more complex terpene profile. You can see the results of the terpene analysis here. The results have since been removed from the site for unknown reasons but here’s a link to see the old version of the page on the WayBack Machine (I encourage everyone who values knowledge to please support the WayBack Machine for preserving important information like this for future generations
news article but like all news it’s more like an opinion piece
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Which grow style suits your tastes, is probably a better question. Whichever one you pick, is going to grow you the best smoke you’ve ever tasted.
Soil suits me, it costs some time and labor up front, but then I can mostly just water. I’m also trying to build up the soil in my veggie garden the right way so it all ties in with that.
Happy growing!
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I agree 150% I want it to kick ass but also as important that wonderful smell to come through in the flavour.
I know nothing of the difference between soil and hydro but one major contributor to the flavour to savour is in the slow dry and jarring at just the right humidity to cure. You can grow the best weed on the planet but if you don’t get that part just right you loose that flavour and smell from the terpenes. I am still working on that skill lol still a bit of hit or miss but getting more consistent.
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Some growers think it does.
But blind studies say loud and clear that…
No 
it dosen’t.
Biological science tells us that when the plant actually uses the minerals, they are in the exact same form no matter the sorce from which they came.
As long as the plant gets the same minerals no matter the sorce, no one can tell the difference without knowing first…
Or at least this is what happens every time a blind study is done.
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I grow in soil and yes i believe that cannabis grown in soil is better tasting and has more of a better terpene taste and the buds are stickier but if ur growing in coco coir with peat moss and perlite mix with worm castings and dry amendments you will also get nice tasting buds but thats my opinion also u dont need to flush when growing in soil with organics but if ur going to use bottled nutrients u will need to flush ur plants
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I have started in soil. Ffof to be exact. Smoke came out superb but switched to canna coco and jacks 321 and the taste smell and all from the coco is so much cleaner and smoother of a taste. Coco is way more forgiving than soil is. It does require more feeds or watering but makes for some superior smoke. Any kind of issues arise while growing in coco and they r super easily washed away and start again. U cannot do this in soil. Soil give the grow room a wet dirt s ell. U won’t smell wet dirt on the room using coco. Most bags of soils especially if stored outside come with some kind of. It’s. I’m sure coco does too in a way but I’ve never notice any bugs right off the rip in coco like I have with some bags of soil. I think coco is the way to go for all new growers and wish I would have known about coco before I started in soil.
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I did a grow in soil and it had hardly any taste also did another in soil that was on but not the best… and now I’ve switched to coco
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This topic has really opened a friendly can of worms its good to see other peoples opions and fews though
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The quality of the crop is dependent on the farmer. Not the medium. The terps fall on the farmer, and the genetics.
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Agreed. 
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I would say soil has a better NOSE if you will. definitely has more of a fragrance than coco in my limited time playin with coco. just my opinion. regardless they both get u high asf. so does it really matter? whatever works for you and ur style of growing. Soil is a more finicky grow as far as not over fertilizing and such.
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In an indoor grow by the time the plant is in its last month the roots are in a nutrient mix we provide.
Soil, coco or hydro would be no different from each other as the mixes are the same except for the pH value.
Perhaps an outdoor plant in the ground might be different, but there is no logical explanation for a difference in indoor media making the plant different. Not that I can see.
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Just to play soil’s advocate a little bit, 
I understand many hydro style growers have found that they get better results if they add silica. Turns out, silica is the 2nd most abundant element in the earths crust, and the plant was using it for all sorts of things, including trichome production. Now if you were in soil, it’s not something that your plant was missing out on, it was already in there.
Plant physiology, especially cannabis, is still an open field of study; same for soil biology. We don’t yet know all of Mother Natures secrets. Soil is an entire ecosystem she designed to feed your plant (that’s how she rolls). And the soil needs the plant just as much as the plant needs it, they feed each other.
It’s beautiful, man, when you think about it. 
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I hadn’t considered the importance of the curing process. Years ago, I just cut it, hung it and then stuffed it in a Ziploc when dry. No wonder I never got the smell/flavor I hoped for!
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I’m sympathetic to that argument! Don’t get me wrong…I Love science. But, I also have to marvel at the elegance of the interdependent system called nature. 
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I have grown in soil and hydro both, and I am in agreement with those who say the plant doesn’t care where it’s basic nutrients from. As long as they get them.
But if I understand this correctly, the plant we grow likes to pick up trace elements, (both good or bad) via the roots. Then stores these nonessential elements in the plant itself. So wouldn’t these nonessential trace elements the plant picks up effect the smell and taste? If so would certain elements complement the taste of certain strains?
In the mid nineties, I followed a High Times article for a closet set up with a 400 watt MH, and the suggested medium was 1/3 worm castings, 1/3 cow manure, and 1/3 perlite. This produced some very good tasting buds with a smell to match. The skunk strain that I grew had a smell that couldn’t be contained. I would put it in a sandwich bag, then a ziplock, then a Tupperware box, and drop this in a double paper bag. When I had this in my truck, I would often have to tell people that maybe I hit a skunk. I believe that the cow manure was a perfect match for that strain. Also I am thinking that my organic nutrient schedule is why my Girl Scout Cookies doesn’t finish with that sweet taste. While the BB or Skywalker taste great.
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