What you need to know about scrogging
Do you know any marijuana grower? If yes, there is a higher probability that you have heard the term ‘SCROG’ before. We are going to show you how to scrog your cannabis.
This term is used to abbreviate ‘Screen of Green,’ which is one of the many growing techniques that can be used to increase profits for marijuana farmers. It is not a new technique because it was introduced soon after people started using HID or fluorescent lights to improve yields.
SCROG is a farming technique that ensures lower buds optimize lights and grow to the top canopy where they record higher yields.
The method is based on scientific research that supports the idea that better light distribution will increase marijuana yields. Here’s how to scrog your cannabis.
How to scrog your cannabis
Scrogging involves training your marijuana plants to optimize their exposure to light by securing a screen above the plants’ canopy and ensuring that the plants grow towards the screen with time.
This strategy will ensure that the canopy does not prevent young buds from increasing to the canopy height.
As more buds grow to the canopy height, the produce from the marijuana plants increases as they create more foliage.
Topping your cannabis plants
It is important to note, however, that you should not implement scrogging individually since it works best when integrated with other marijuana farming methods. Among the methods that you can use together with scrogging includes topping.
This technique involves growers cutting the top of the marijuana plants, which allows the plants to develop more branches and grow outwards instead of growing upwards.
This is achieved by ensuring that more branches are exposed to sunlight while ensuring the economical use of space.
Once your plants have more branches, you will only need little effort when scrogging. Note, however, that you may still need to check on your plants to ensure that they are scrogging correctly.
Who should use SCROG
Are you wondering if this technique is ideal for all marijuana farmers or a specific group? If you are, you need to know that the method is suitable for any person producing marijuana on a small scale.
Scrogging, therefore, can be ideal for people who live in estates where marijuana growing in small quantities is legal. Several states across United States allow people to grow five or fewer plants; and such people can adopt this technique.
For instance, if you scrog your five plants, you can significantly increase the harvest of weed as compared to those who do not use it.
The goal of scrogging is to ensure that people with a limited number of small plants can harvest more Sativas while ensuring they comply with the laws governing its farming.
By scrogging your plants, you increase light penetration, which ensures that every plant receives adequate light.
With more exposure to light, your plants will record higher yields.
5 Simple steps to follow when scrogging
- Install the ‘screen,’ which should be about 20 to 25 inches from the pots. This is the first step when you want to scrog your marijuana plants. Maintaining this distance is vital in ensuring that light is distributed evenly to force the plants to grow horizontally. This will help increase the yields of your plants. You can also use a tight rope or wire instead of the SCROG screen. Whatever you use, make sure that it is capable of holding back the top canopy. This can help you train your plants to grow the way you want.
- Cut off the marijuana’s top cola
- Prune the bottom branches of the plant after the plant hits the screen. This will ensure that there is even distribution of light.
- Two days after you have pruned the bottom, force the plants into flowering
- Ensure you attach the branches of the plant horizontally to the screen
Useful tips for marijuana growers
- Consider using feminized or clone seeds only. If you want to start scrogging your plants, you should use female plants. Male plants ordinarily require to be removed, and this can leave huge gaps that will affect your yields negatively.
- To avoid such inconveniences, you can grow female plants only by ensuring that you acquire female clones or grow female seeds in your pots. Be sure to get this right since you will not know the type of plants you have until the flowing phase.
- Using the feminized seeds will increase your overall yields by ensuring maximum utilization of the space.
- Bend any parts that are growing above the mesh or screen.
- The flowering phase might be the most productive but the vegetative stage is equally necessary. As such, bend any branch that pokes out of the mesh or screen for even distribution of energy.
- This strategy will also work to keep your plants at a level, create a canopy, and enhance high yields.
Frequently asked questions about scrogging (FAQs)
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about SCROG:
Will scrogging guarantee me increased yields?
If you are wondering if this technique will offer you better results, the answer is yes. All the training done on your plants works to ensure you get better yields from your plants, and this one is not an exception. The results, therefore, will be higher as long as the environment is conducive and you have used the technique correctly.
How many plants can be scrogged?
This technique can be used to train any number of plants as long as it is convenient for you. The idea is to train the plants to grow horizontally, and this can be done to as many plants as you want.
If you use it with topping, however, you limit how tall your plants grow and increase their horizontal growth for a better harvest.
What should be the recommended distance between the plants and the screens?
There is no specific distance to be followed when setting the screen. You will decide on which length is appropriate for you, which can be anything between one and two feet.
All you need to know is that the higher the distance, the more pruning your plants will need.
What happens if I don’t top my plants?
If you are worried about what will happen if you do not top your crops, you should not. Scrogging does not prevent vertical growth for your plants. If you fail to top them, the top shoots will grow through the mesh or screen.
How close should I put the lights
There is no recommended height where you can set the lights, but it is vital to ensure that the lights are as close to the plants as possible as long as it is safe for the plants.
If they are too close, however, the light might burn the plants, and this can reduce the overall productivity. On the other hand, keeping the lights too far might minimize the optimization of the light hence reduced harvest.
Besides minding the distance of the lights, you will also need to consider the number of plants when deciding the range since more plants will require more light.