If you type “cannabis growing methods” into your favorite search engine, more than half a million results for tips, tricks, products and other suggestions from the pros on how to maximize your crop will pop up.

There are many options for growers – either under a commercial license or legally at home – and most people who have experience growing have opinions about their favorite methodology. While everyone might not agree about the best way to cultivate cannabis, most will agree the process is complicated.

“There is a lot of technology available now that makes growing easier but when it comes down to growing nothing beats experience and having an eye for detail,” Choice Organics Head Grower Andy Weyers said.

Good cultivation creates good cannabis. The perfect balance of nutrients will develop flavorful, aromatic and potent cannabis, but there are different schools of thought on how to achieve optimal results. Some people prefer a hydroponic system, while some growers only want their cannabis all-natural and soil grown.

“We really believe that soil-grown cannabis is the way to go,” Weyers said. “But other people prefer hydro. It really depends on personal priorities and ability to control environmental factors.”

Those factors include everything from nutrients to humidity to the quality and duration of light to temperature and everything in between. Generally speaking, the more controlled an environment can be, the better the crop of cannabis that will result. This gives an advantage to indoor cultivation, though the demand for resources can outweigh the benefits to indoor cultivation.

“You can have all the technology and gadgets and still have an unsuccessful grow. Cannabis plants are picky, and getting the best product from them can be tough,” Weyers said. “You really have to give them exactly what they want, and even missing one factor or getting off schedule can compromise the quality of the crop.”

Hydroponic growth systems were developed to make cultivation more precise but in the process it has become more complicated. Soil has all the nutrients that plants need in naturally occurring forms and the roots of the plant choose what they uptake instead of being forced to uptake nutrients.

Hydroponics can refer to many different methods, all of which involve the input of synthetically derived nutrients to feed the plant. Some closely imitate a natural growth environment – like “ebb and flow” technique, which mimics rainfall through an inorganic growth medium, while some involve plants suspended in midair or in a nutrient solution bath with no growth medium – aeroponics and deep water culture, respectively. By eliminating soil, hydroponics can create completely sterile and optimized systems for cannabis.

Although these systems can be expensive to start, plants grow at a much faster and predictable rate than when using more traditional soil methods. This generally means higher yields, which translates into bigger profits for commercial growers. For homegrowers, full turnkey hydroponic kits might be a good option to get started producing quality crops.

In contrast, growing the cannabis in nutrient-rich soil more natural. Within the cultivation community, soil-grown cannabis is known to have the advantage of superior taste, but may be more expensive to produce.

Because it is an organic medium, soil may contain pestilence or disease.  A knowledgeable cultivator can take steps to mitigate these risks.

Cultivators in both hydroponic and soil-based growing monitor plants for signs of disease, but soil has the ability to help eliminate disease before it shows itself to the grower. With the application of beneficial bacteria and fungus, most plant and soil-borne disease and pests can be eliminated. Soil-based growing is based on the most natural growth patterns possible, so the use of pesticides and other synthetic products is more detrimental than helpful.

Although nutrient uptake is not directly controlled by the cultivator, enriched soil is a preferred growth method for many of the industry’s top cultivators. Artificial nutrients and fertilizers are easy to add to boost plant growth and health, but they are detrimental to the life in the soil and therefore should never be added to a soil based grow.

Plants grown in hydroponic media are at the mercy of the cultivator to supply the nutrients and are subject to any mistakes that the cultivator makes. Cannabis plants are finicky, but because the soil acts as a bit of a buffer, soil cultivation is somewhat more forgiving of mistakes than hydroponics.

“A lot of people prefer soil grown cannabis because the quality of the end product is better,” Weyers said. “Hydro might be more predictable, but the soil helps reveal the true genetic potential of the plant. Hydro always produces the same looking and tasting cookie cutter buds, while soil just creates a little bit more excitement. We choose what is best for our patients and consumers because we are patients and consumers ourselves.”