You talk about burning $400 worth of nutes in a run. Lol so whats the cost of water testing up front 1 time cost. What about a soil test $100, then do you spend another $100 after your soil has been admended and cooked to make sure you hit target inputs optional cost.
Coots his methods are out there. Slow nickle is another informative person on soil. They approach it differently but reguardless who you need to foliar feed to help carry through so cha ching more money.
What about the cost of the macro and micros, the minerals, the gypsum and everything else needed to have a good quality soil. $$$ alot of $$ upfront
Do you have to do this? Nope but your not going to have the true expression of the plant if you don't. Doesnt mean your not going to get decent harvest. If your trying to push for healthy plants and get everything that plant has to offer you will.
What about soil admending and cooking. You do a run then you have to retest the soil, re admend wait 30 days then use it to grow. If your not depleting the mix your not in a balanced mix....
What your missing completely organikz is if your soil is balanced you should yeild very close to hydro.
You said in the swazzi thread you grow short plants as I took it as your plants are not healthy, you try to grow anything with heighth your defficiant.
Its been proven small plants and numbers are not worth it. That was the mentality 10 years ago and it was from older, larger plants running defficiant constantly. Today the deffifiancy issue is handled and larger plants are grown.
The other side of the coin is are you trying to grow for yourself or a cash cropper. Alot of cash croppers grow mids because there is no grading involved its $200 a ounce if its grade A or pop corn smalls that turn to dust as soon as you touch it.
You cant say concrete in 1 method works because your goal of the product at the end dictates everything.
The reason I use coir and salts is I have absolute total input control start to finish. I dont have the space, the time, or want the mess of a soil grow indoors. You know who uses peat base mix when you walk in the door of a house the small fines are everywhere. I have a clean house and cleaning peat moss up like dust on everything is not for me at all.