You’re either reading this because you’re familiar with Scrogging or you’re curious about this whimsical term. What is Scrogging? Actually, the term is Scrog, which is the shortened form of “Screen of Green”.
Still confused? Simply put, to Scrog is to force the lower growing buds of your marijuana crop to the plants’ canopy by way of light optimization. A screen is used to force your crop to grow low and dense, forming a canopy of buds at the screen level; thus, the term “Screen of Green”. This practice will yield more usable and more dense buds for those of you who grow indoors.
Here’s how to do it in 5 easy steps:
1. Screening the plants
2. Removing colas
3. Pruning
4. Force flowering
5. Securing branches to screen
Step 1: Screen the plants
Secure a screen 20” to 25” above your plants. It should be made of sturdy material and have 2” x 2” open squares throughout. The idea is to limit the plant’s height while encouraging the formation of buds.
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When the cannabis reaches about 10” in height, snip off the colas located at the very top of the plant. This forces the stem to form new branches.
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Before the plants reach the top of the screen, snip off the small lower branches and any side shoots growing at the bottom. This process allows the marijuana plant to concentrate its growth efforts on the top where the buds will form.
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Once the new branches begin to peek through the holes of the screen, carefully manipulate each one into a separate hole away from the main stem. Doing so encourages horizontal growth, making the crop denser. Take some landscape tape and tie the spread-out branches to the screen in order to train them to grow laterally. The result you want to achieve is a dense canopy running along the screen. Make sure to download my free grow guide for more tips to increase your yield. Click here to download.
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Force your marijuana plants from the vegetative stage into the flowering stage by putting them on a lighting schedule. Twelve hours of light and twelve hours of darkness will push your crop’s energy into producing flowers or buds.
Some growers choose to force flowering just before the plants shoot up through the screen. The flowering stage can take any where from eight to eleven weeks, depending on the strain.
Step 5: Secure branches to screen
As the marijuana plants continue to thrive, train all branches to grow horizontally by attaching them to the screen. Again, use landscape tape to secure them. Be very gentle in this process to avoid damaging the flowering tops. Any breakage that may occur can thwart the growth patterns. Make sure the air is well ventilated below the canopy otherwise you risk the formation of mold in your dense crop.
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The process of scrogging is ideal for indoor grown cannabis crops, especially if your space is limited. HPS lights are best but fluorescent bulbs will also work. The method is simple to implement and can result in a much larger yield of traditionally grown marijuana. Here are some examples of successful scrog grows
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If you want start scrogging, make sure to download my free marijuana grow guide at this link here for more information.
Happy growing