[Phaeton]

When I raced stock cars I ran junk for the first couple years until I started consistently showing in the top five and occasionally winning.
Then I got into quality equipment. Sure enough, I was able to utilize the features in ways I could not have imagined without the years of being forced to use every skill I had at maximum just to keep up.

The first six years of growing a marijuana garden were spent dialing in four different strains of bagseed. Two more strains of bagseed were carefully chosen and grown for another six years.
All six strains of bagseed eventually ended up being competitive with with any available commercial strain.

It has been about ten months since I changed to storebought seeds. These are harder to dial in as each plant is an individual with unique needs rather than an identical to the previous plant.
Still, a single strain has the vast majority of conditions necessary for excellent growth similar enough for dialing in.

First harvest averaged less than five ounces per plant and smoke was OK. The current harvest is eight ounces and the smoke quality is excellent to tremendous.
Same plant as ten months ago, but dialed in much better now.

In a six plant perpetual every fourth or fifth plant is not the main line, always checking out recommended strains.

I also check out additives every now and then. Most do nothing to improve the plant. I am in the third harvest with .39% Fulvic acid added at five ml per four gallons. This is the amber liquid, the black Humic acid got six harvests and is no longer used. The darker Humic acid seems geared toward microbial activity in the root zone and I run mostly sterile roots so it did not help.

I envy organic gardeners and their products. I cannot handle the large numbers of variables that must be balanced so I went with synthetic nutrient. My loss.

[810FireFarm]

Genetics obviously play a big role in the "Maximum potential" of a strain, but a very well dialed in bagseed can outperform a poorly grown elite clone....

but the elite genetic seed has the potential to surpass the others....not by any guarantee that it will...simply that the genes are present that it could in right conditions.

[DenverJim]

pay attention to everything. Some things may not be important but how does one know what is important unless watching it. Learning how to clone is important. I was terrible so starting last spring I just did it until experience is where it is at. I don't believe what I read I test it first. I used to put small flowering plants outside in winter. First for short periods they will adjust. At night it was below freezing. learned that pot is not like tomatoes it is a hardy annual. Colorado is different in that the temp changes from day to night are 20 degrees in spring and fall it can be more. I am planting out in the dirt right now. Mostly my seeds. purchased seeds are started in pots. Rabbits will eat them till they get a few sets of leaves. MY BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE RIPPERS. Never to old to learn.