f one had to guess, I'd say this accounts for a large % of all problems on GD. Here is some unadulterated crop-steering physics. We don't grow; we convert energy at an efficiency. The more knowledge you apply, the higher your conversion efficiency. 5% is the mechanical hard wall that apparently only the GD user moneyTdiablero knows how to pass at a whopping 22%; I digress.
To grow a weed plant, you must balance the entire ecosystem. If any single parameter is bottlenecked, the entire photosynthetic energy process is bottlenecked to that exact percentage.
The 9 Cardinal Parameters of Plant Growth:
#1-Light Intensity (PPFD)
#2-Light Quality (Spectrum)
#3-Air Temperature
#4-Relative Humidity (VPD)
#5-Dissolved Oxygen (DO) / Root O₂
#6-Substrate Moisture (VWC)
#7-Nutrient Strength & Balance (EC/pH)
#8-Root Zone Temperature
#9-Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
Differences between pots will drastically change #5; the plastics will crash shortly before the fabrics. Once the canopy gets a decent size, #5 will be your main bottleneck.
Messing up #6 very easily destroys #5
#7 is not just a measure of food; it is a measure of electrical conductance that drives the majority of #6, which is responsible for a large part of the efficiency of #5.
Root Oxygen, VWC, and EC/pH is where the separating line is drawn between hobby growers and master stoners. The synergy between them is tight, predictable, and dictated by physics. Yet 99% of growers think EC is just a measure of food, and it has nothing to do with "concentration".
Consumers are ignorant, ignorant is not stupidity. Leaving consumers ignorant is simply found to be more profitable. Teaching growers how to manage physical systems (like dry-backs, osmotic pressure, and gas exchange) doesn't yield recurring profits. It is much easier to sell a "root booster" than to explain how a plastic pot creates a hypoxic perched water table and solve the problem permanently.
Good luck! lol Do not underestimate the importance of 5,6 &7. Possibly the most underrated tip you can get.