SCROG (Screen of Green)

SCROG (Screen of Green) combines low-stress training, topping, and canopy management into a single high-yield system widely used by indoor growers, particularly in tent and small-room setups where each plant must produce maximum flower per square meter. The setup: install a horizontal mesh screen with 5-10cm grid squares 20-40cm above the soil surface, depending on strain stretch. As the cannabis plant grows during late vegetative stage, every new branch is tucked underneath the screen and trained sideways into adjacent squares. The screen prevents any single cola from dominating vertically — instead the plant fills the screen with dozens of evenly-sized bud sites all receiving identical overhead light. The result is a flat green canopy with no shaded lower growth and maximum light efficiency. SCROG works best with: (1) Single plants given 4-8 weeks of vegetative growth with 1-3 toppings to multiply main colas, (2) Strains with strong stretch and lateral branching like sativa-dominant hybrids, (3) Photoperiod plants where veg time can be extended to fill the screen completely before flipping to 12/12. Critical timing: stop tucking 1-2 weeks into flowering once vertical growth slows, then let bud sites mature upward through the screen. SCROG can produce 600-1000g per square meter from a single plant under quality lighting — yields that would require 4-9 untrained plants in the same space. Trade-offs: SCROG requires extended vegetative time, demanding patience and skill, and is poorly suited to autoflowers (lifecycle is too short) or commercial sea-of-green operations.