Congrats on the mini split, it will be a game changer........ Air handler will need to be replaced couple years down the road though.
I prefer soil too, but I'm not starting another heated debate.
Good luck grower
I don't understand why those heated debates ever occur. I enjoy growing in soil and hydro. Each has it's pros and cons. It keeps things interesting though having a diverse range of flower available to enjoy and compare. If I stuck to only one grow method my entire life then my judgment would be completely skewed based on my limited experience, and I'd probably get very emotional about my statements. Typically the most emotional people are the ones with the least amount of information. Fear of the unknown gets stupid people very angry when they're confronted with their lack of experience and knowledge. People are awesome, right?
It's an unequivocal fact that soil grows more flavorful pot due to higher brix levels that hydroponics simply cannot achieve. Plants with high brix levels are more flavorful than flowers with low brix levels and are the most sought after flowers on the market. It's the same dam reason a soil grown 'mater tastes like a tomato and a hydroponic grown 'mater looks better and is bigger but tastes like absolutely nothing. Just flavorless skin, flesh, and water. Yuck! It's all about the brix baby. And hydro ain't got it. Debating facts is not a fruitful use of anyone's time
I started growing in hydro because I was promised bigger harvests. That was a lie. I continued growing in hydro because I have a bad back and hate hauling dirt. It's the lazy grower's way of growing plants. If anyone was looking for a more complex answer there isn't one
Update: Godfather OG is looking great as she settles into her now soil home. Cabbage, mater's, wild flowers, and corn are all taking off nicely in their new 3 gallon containers. Man oh man does the godfather stink to high hell. It's like that old school "holy shit did you run over a fucking skunk" smell. I haven't had one of those in the garden in what seems like forever! I now have 2 27 gallon totes full of soil. 1 full of potter's gold. The other full of ocean forest. I plan to add a 3rd tote of happy frog. I only grabbed the PG because the fuckers were out of the HF. What can ya do?
All 3 god bud seeds popped! Only 1 bruce banger so far. I did not germinate between paper towels and dinner plates like I usually do. So far 4 out of 6 had no problem breaking through the soil. The BB's are feminized so as long as I get one I'll be happy. The GB is regular. Hopefully I get 1 female. Last cycle I planted 4 jager's. All but 1 went male. The 1 female I had produced 2# under my 660w. All genetics. I didn't do anything special. She's a monster producer that everyone should have at least one of in their garden.
Godfather OG:
Critical mass. She is one hell of a fucking producer. Easy to grow too. No fuss at all. Just spread her branches and keep them from falling over as the monster flowers weigh the branches down close to harvest. Lovely lovely strain. I hate smoking it myself, but patients love it. What can ya do?