SCROG growing

SCROG stands for Screen of Green: a growing method in which you stretch a net or mesh with 5 by 5 cm openings 20 to 40 cm above the pots and weave the plant's branches under the net as it grows. One plant becomes a flat carpet of equal buds that all sit the same distance from the lamp. The result is 20 to 40% more yield per lamp than with free-growing plants, with fewer plants and less height. This category holds the strains in our range that scrog best: feminised plants that branch well, stay pliable and flower evenly.

Which cannabis seeds are suitable for SCROG?

• Branching hybrids: White Widow (up to 600 grams per m², 8 to 9 weeks of flowering), Big Bud (Northern Lights x Skunk #1, up to 600 grams per m², 7 to 8 weeks) and Super Cheese. The classic SCROG choice: many side branches, sturdy stems, big buds.
• Sativas with stretch: Amnesia Haze from Royal Queen Seeds (600 to 650 grams per m², 10 to 11 weeks) and Blue Dream. Sativas stretch a lot in the first weeks of flowering; under a net you use that length to fill the screen instead of the tent.
• Kush and indica: Bubble Kush from Royal Queen Seeds (550 to 600 grams per m²), Bubbabu Kush, Black Rhino (100% indica) and Blue Medicinale CBD Kush. More compact, but with a net you get an even flowering surface from indicas too.
• Flavour strains: Bubblegum, Somango and White Sharky. Medium-sized, pliable and 8 to 9 weeks of flowering.

Why does SCROG yield more?

A lamp gives most of its light in a plane 30 to 50 cm below the lamp. On a free-growing plant only a few buds sit in that plane and the rest hangs in the shade. With a screen you pull every growing tip to the same height, so each bud gets the same light and grows to the same size. That way you get from one or two plants per m² what otherwise takes four to nine plants, which also matters where the number of plants is limited by law. The method works under LED and under HPS, and can be done well in a grow tent of 80 by 80 cm.

How does SCROG growing work step by step?

Let the plant grow for 4 to 6 weeks under 18 hours of light and top it in week 3 so it goes wide. Stretch the net 20 to 40 cm above the pot. As soon as branches come through the net, bend them horizontal and tuck them under the next opening; do this every day, because branches harden quickly. When 70 to 80% of the screen is filled, switch the light to 12 hours. In the first two weeks of flowering the plant keeps stretching, so keep weaving until all tips are level and then stop; from week 3 of flowering you no longer touch the plant. Remove all leaves and small shoots below the net, so the energy goes to the buds above the screen and air can move underneath.

How do you order cannabis seeds for SCROG?

Per seed, discreetly packed and without branding. Loose seeds come with buy 4 pay 3. Order before 18:00 and we dispatch the same day; from € 35 with no shipping costs to the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

How many plants do you need for SCROG?

One to two feminised plants per square metre are enough, provided you give them 5 to 6 weeks of growth. With a White Widow or Big Bud you fill an 80 by 80 cm screen with a single plant.

Can you scrog autoflowers?

You can, but it pays off less. An autoflower starts flowering by itself after 3 to 4 weeks and has not filled a screen by then; bending during flowering costs yield. Choose a feminised strain for SCROG; if you still want an autoflower, take a large one such as Big Bud XXL Autoflower and bend only in the first three weeks.