Growing Cannabis can be done using various methods from organic to hydroponics, with variation between a high volume of plants, or a low number of large sized plants. Two excellent methods that can be applied to an indoor or outdoor set up are Sea of Green and Screen of Green. These old school styles of growing are very different in application, skill level and return, so in this article we break down SOG and SCROG explaining the benefits and providing our 3 top tips for growing Cannabis using these two methods.
Sea of Green Explained - What is SOG?
Sea of Green is a name given to a style of growing Cannabis that involves creating a large area, that is to be filled with plants. The idea is that you will achieve the same yield as you would, having grown large sized plants that require around 6–8 weeks of vegetative time.
So for example, if you had a room or tent that was 3 x 3 meters, then you would fill the floor space leaving around 45 cm of space between the plants and walls and a corridor in the center that you can easily walk through for feeding or maintenance. This would provide plenty of space to walk around and be hands-on with your plants in the event of an emergency.
What size pots are best?
When growing Cannabis in the SOG set up, it is best to use pots that are between 7.5-10 liters. The pots will be set up in a square grid formation, so 6 x 6 rows makes 36 plants and 7 x 7 rows would make 49 plants in one space depending on the size of the room.
How long do I keep the plants under 18/6?
This depends on if you are growing Cannabis using seedlings or clones. There are many advantages to using clones, as the root ball is well established and can continue to grow quickly once transplanted. When growing Cannabis using seedlings, it can take more time and giving 14–21 days of intense lighting and nutrients is usually sufficient. When working with healthy clones, then between 7–10 days is usually the ideal time frame before switching to flower.
The benefits associated with SOG
Growing Cannabis using SOG keeps the vegetative stage as low as possible.
● Electricity bills and nutrient use will be reduced, allowing you to make savings.
● Depending on the strain, you can rotate the room every 9–10 weeks.
● SOG requires almost no maintenance or skills and is easy to set up and perform.
3 Top Tips for SOG growing
1. Make sure that you have selected the right strain to work with. When growing Cannabis with a SOG set up, not all strains will work, so we recommend using Lava Freeze, Kosher Haze, Purple OG Punch, Strawberry Cookies, or regular Creamy Kees and Karel's Dank.
2. Leave plenty of room to walk around when you set the pots up, and also leave enough space between them to allow plants enough room to fill out without overcrowding.
3. SOG is an excellent way to keep short to medium-sized plants, meaning growing with limited height will find this method to be advantageous.
Screen of Green Explained - What is SCROG?
Basically an abbreviation for Screen of Green, meaning a hand made screen with a net inside is used to train the plants through. When growing Cannabis using this method, there is a period when the plants need to be grown up, and manipulated through the net, combined with various plant training techniques such as topping, pruning, tying down and super cropping.
In comparison to SOG, this style of growing is a long-winded process that allows a grower to take one or two plants and systematically fill their entire grow space. Certain strains will be much better adapted to the SCROG process, and the time it takes to produce large sized plants that are ready to fill a room, can take between 6–12 weeks in some cases.
What size pots are best for SCROG?
Those who choose to work with a small plant out of practicality or to follow legal guidelines where they live, will need to use a large sized pot. The best sized pots to grow an enormous plant is between 25 liters and 50 liters indoors. So for example. If your grow space is 1.2 x 1.2 meters, you would aim to grow 2-4 large sized plants when growing Cannabis using the SCROG technique.
How long do I keep the plants under 18/6?
Be ready for the long game, and to spend around 8–10 weeks for the roots to fill the pots and perfecting the final structure and canopy. On one hand, you know that someone who is using the SOG method will harvest their room every 10 weeks, however when you are attempting to
match the same amount they would have produced in the space, then a 10-week vegetative time of 18/6, combined with plant training will pay of massively when it comes to flower production.
The benefits associated with SCROG
● Growing Cannabis using SCROG teaches you to be hands-on with the plants.
● The final yields can be huge in some cases depending on nutrients and light intensity.
● SCROG is a great way to keep a low plant count and follow the laws in your country.
3 Top Tips for SCROG growing
1. The strain when growing Cannabis using the SCROG method should be a sativa dominant hybrid. These will also work best and be the easiest to train and feed through the screen. We recommend Bruce Lemon Diesel, Black Lebanon, Pineapple Poison, or all regular Haze strain such as Karel's Haze, Golden Apple Haze.
2. Building your own screen at home using wood and chicken wire can be a cheap alternative to an expensive net from the grow shop. You can also build them to any shape and size without breaking the bank.
3. Make sure that you have a good stream of fresh air blowing around the plants once you are flowering. SCROG can produce some enormous sized plants and buds, so be extra vigilant during flower production.
Conclusion
There are many ways of growing Cannabis indoors or outdoors, and using these two methods covered in this article can take your grow game to the next level. If you are new to the growing scene, then try the SOG method using a fast flowering strain. For those who fancy a challenge, then SCROG will keep you busy as you fine tune your set-up!
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