To ScrOG or not to ScrOG - that is most definitely the question

[BET]

I've done some digging around and I have read a fair bit on ScrOG, although everything seems to reference maximizing yields in SMALL spaces...

Q. I have over a meter to grow in height wise, probably about 1.25 meters. Is ScrOG going to be worth using here or should I just let the babies grow normally? The strain will fit in this space, I'm just wondering whether I'll see more benefits from scrog because of the light coverage per bud / cola.


Your thoughts? Thanks

 

[FreezerBoy]

What lamp are we using? What's the footprint of the cab? 1.25 meters measures what? Space between floor and ceiling or space between the top of the pot and the bottom of the reflector?

Even a 1K lamp only penetrates so far. The smaller the lamp, the less penetration, the more benefit from ScrOG.

 

[Big Eggy]

are plant numbers a problem? i always prefer a SOG.

One of my favorite stains "White Widow" is very brittle and wouldn't lend itself very well to a ScrOG.

.. Also i'm lazy and cant be dealing with all that training.

Eggy

 

[AfroSheep]

hmmm funny ivengot white widow in a scrog right now, and its going fantastic,

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Big Eggy be right on time. I'm a micro grower. I could rock a one plant scrog and get as much yield as up to 18 half-gallon pop bottles.

If I got caught with one plant, I'd prolly see nothing more than a fine and a record. I can't imagine ICers reading about little ol' me going to prison for (18 PLANTS!!!) Woohoo... a quarter-ferkin'-pound! To leo, 18 plants - gotta be worth 18k

One plant doesn't make me any more careless but I'm less concerned big time.

 

[Big Eggy]

AfroSheep who is you WW by? Mine is FMS and even when I supercroped it it nearly snapped.
DiscoBiscuit fair comment, i'd not be happy with 18 plant's either.. I only run 6 at most.

 

[LittleAmsterdam]

LST

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

AfroSheep who is you WW by? Mine is FMS and even when I supercroped it it nearly snapped.

This one did the same way. Broke a half-dozen or so. The one I'm doing now is like cooked spaghetti, it'll train any way I want.

 

[B. Self Reliant]

There are different types of SCROG's.

Many growers in smaller spaces use it the traditional way by having the net 9"-12" above the top of the container. This method controls head height but also requires a lot of training as the plants are truly being trained horizontally for a large part of their life. Training plants above & below the net is a daily chore in a cramped space. This type of SCROG requires a strain that's fairly branchy & flexible.

With talller spaces you can still take advantage of the fact that a SCROG will even out your canopy, but you don't have to have the net so close & it's used a little differently. If you have the option of vegging your plants out a bit, use larger plants & put the net a good 18"-24" above the top of the containers. With the net this high it's basically a very rigid version of those white trellis-like rope nets growers use instead of stakes sometimes. It keeps the canopy even, it give you something to tie branches to, & it lets you veg for a long time while supporting the plants. You get all this without really having to train the branches to much. . . you're more just placing them into the next hole over if/when they get too tall. Many strains such as AK-47 & other typically-structured hybrids will tend to branch out anyways, especially when topped, so really all the net's doing is giving you an easy way to fill up the corners of your space & support the branches once they heavy. With this method training is NOT necessarily a daily event.

Food for thought.

 

[Sam the Caveman]

Scrog isn't only for increasing yield, its also for controlling height and the most important part is that you get more of the highest quality buds with this method. You have more tops, and all those tops are getting the most amount of light. Instead of only having one to 4 tops per plant in a traditional non scrog grow, you can have 6 to 10 tops per plant in a scrog with less larf. The average quality of buds is higher than growing in a more traditional way.

Some people don't like the extra work it takes. I think it depends on how big your grow is. Personally, I prefer to scrog, its like a sog without the high plant numbers. It will take a bit longer to veg, so there are tradeoffs.

 

[Big Eggy]

Big Eggy be right on time. I'm a micro grower. I could rock a one plant scrog and get as much yield as up to 18 half-gallon pop bottles.

If I got caught with one plant, I'd prolly see nothing more than a fine and a record. I can't imagine ICers reading about little ol' me going to prison for (18 PLANTS!!!) Woohoo... a quarter-ferkin'-pound! To leo, 18 plants - gotta be worth 18k

One plant doesn't make me any more careless but I'm less concerned big time.

Just thinking about this statment and i can see the headlines now.

"Local lad caught growing pot.. although only one plant was recovered it was a advance set up commonlly called a ScrOG which enabled the grower to maximise yeild"



like you say though they would vaule each plant way out of the scope of reality.

eggy

 

[VerdantGreen]

scrog all the way for me - although if it is your fist grow it may be better to grow them naturally - just so as you know what they want to grow like.

p.s. if you find the stems snap easily try training/bending them just before lights out - this is when they are at their least turgud. they are most turgid and therefore most likely to snap in their morning/just after lights on.

VG

 

[FreezerBoy]

One of my favorite stains "White Widow" is very brittle and wouldn't lend itself very well to a ScrOG.

NOT trying to talk you out of SOG. But, I see a teaching moment here.

For supercrop, crush stem between thumb and forefinger, rotate grip 90º, crush again and fold. You should both feel it and hear it. It's scary the first time (as in Chuck Norris would have a heart attack just thinking of it) For more brittle strains crush 3-4 times.

Vertical splits, just wrap a twist tie around it and it will heal in a few days. Horizontal splits, just wrap a twist tie around it and it will heal in a few days, try again higher or lower.

 

[BET]

Thanks for all the replies. Sorry for the late reply. Work and kids have been hectic this week.

OK, here I go;

@ FreezerBoy; the lamp is a 150W HPS, the footprint of the cab is 18 cubic feet. Its a tall thin wardrobe. I have about 1.25 meters of growing space from the top of the pot I'll be growing in.

@ Big Eggy; I have one plant, SOG isn't an option because of that. Its Honey B strain, so predominantly sativa. Its takes ages to mature (12-14 weeks) but the wait was worth it last time round

@ LittleAmsterdam; thanks, I've considering LST but ScrOG seems to give better penetration. As space isn't the issue, I think LST would provide the same result as just letting her grow. ScrOG will let me get more light to more buds, the question I had is whether or not I need to do it because I do have the height to grow to the plants natural height without training. But, ScrOG looks like it will give me better results because of penetration, so might just ScrOG anyway

@ B. Self Reliant; your second option sounds like winning to me. I hadn't considered that. I get the benefit out of letting the plants veg thus creating more bud sites, as well as being able to maximize light penetration by popping each branch through a different hole. This is probably the most insightful answer so far

@ Sam the Caveman; that is what I understood about it before I posted this Despite having the height, there are methods you can use to maximize yeild and light usage. Mother nature grows a certain way, and we have managed to evolve that by making better use of the resources the plant needs. Cheers!

@ VerdantGreen; this will be my second closet grow in the attic. The first was with a single Honey B seed that was majorly crippled in veg. It was my fault using a ferted compost, and it got a real slow start. But, it was a fighter and putting the compost right made her shoot up. She didn't turn hermy on me either, so seems to be able to put up with a lot of shit I'll bear that advice in mind about when to train before lights out. Thanks.


Thanks to all. I think I'll go with B. Self Reliant's advice about vegging for a couple of feet then lightly training through a scrog net. I get lots of veg time, and can maximize my light penetration.

Also, LOL @ this being the only forum I can write the word 'penetration' and people don't laugh at it. hehe.


Laters

Alex

 

[Big Eggy]

hehe you said penetration!

But on a more serious note.. seems that you'v chosen the best option with your Honey B.

Work & Kids i know that feeling.. You have a month end too?

 

[pinecone]

I've considering LST but ScrOG seems to give better penetration. As space isn't the issue, I think LST would provide the same result as just letting her grow. ScrOG will let me get more light to more buds, the question I had is whether or not I need to do it because I do have the height to grow to the plants natural height without training. But, ScrOG looks like it will give me better results because of penetration, so might just ScrOG anyway

Just like there are different types of ScrOGs there are different ways to LST. Some methods of LSTing turn out plants that are very similar to ScrOG plants, but without the screen. The plant below was LSTed, but it turned out like a screenless ScrOG. I've come to see ScrOG, LST, and SOG to be different methods of achieving a similar objective, mainly evening out the canopy, including the space from the light to the plants, but also the space between colas.

 

[LittleAmsterdam]

Mr. Conifer took the words right out of my mouth !

They're all the same, but with different advantages. There's several reasons why I choose to LST. I'll post some pictures soon

 

[FreezerBoy]

@ FreezerBoy; the lamp is a 150W HPS, the footprint of the cab is 18 cubic feet. Its a tall thin wardrobe. I have about 1.25 meters of growing space from the top of the pot I'll be growing in.

Cubic ft is volume. Footprint is sq ft. I ask because "standard" lighting is 50 watts per sq ft (or 0.28 sq meters) A 150 will be lucky to penetrate more than 6 inches (0.15 meter) Allow plant to reach one meter in vertical height and over 80% is light deprived. Grow that same 1 meter horizontally with a ScrOG and every bud is the same distance from the lamp.

 

[John Deere]

+1 on pinecone

They're all variations of the same idea. Personally I don't see the need to add the extra hardware and hassle of a screen but lots of people love it so whatever you prefer should work fine.

Best of luck.

 

[LittleAmsterdam]

I don't like having to cut them loose at harvest or if there's a problem with a girl amongst the bunch.