Apples and oranges. To each his own. Blackberry is fire, GG , Blue Dream-matic. The newer Orange Sherbet is a terp and frost monster and the wedding cheesecake is excellent.
May have been that you only tried one or two strains. A plants potential is left to the grower. 100%
I say keep all your lights at a proper distance and a consistent distance. You can always adjust your plants height by propping them up on a stand or whatever. I use coffee containers
I will argue this with anyone. Foop organic biosciences (fish poop=foop) has everything your plant needs including Mychorizae and naturally occurring bacteria. I've never had any problems whatsoever since I've been using it.