How to Cultivate Using the Screen of Green Method

What is the Screen of Green Method?

This method has the cannabis plants grow up and into a horizontal screen that separates the colas from the branches, creating a larger canopy and allowing the colas of the plants to be placed beneath the productive zones of proper lighting. Branches are often tied to the screen to ensure they don’t take up too much space. SCOG is preferred by those with limited lighting systems as it helps the plants utilize light more efficiently to produce more; better buds.

While the plants generally grow slightly smaller than the norm using the SCOG method, the cultivator can plant more and still produce larger yields within a smaller growing space and limited lighting.

What Kind of Screen Do I Use?

A screen that has 2 to 4-inch diameter holes is ideal, like vinyl garden fencing or chicken wire. Some prefer to craft their own screen using bamboo stakes. Such screens or materials for building screens can be found online or at your local gardening/home improvement center.

What other materials are needed?

Pots to plant your cannabis. For one plant, a 5 or 6 gallon pot is ideal. If planning to grow multiple plants, use smaller, 3 gallon pots for each plant. Plastic plant ties or string is also needed to tie down branches to the screen. Other than that, the right fertilizer for your strain of choice along with soil. Let’s not forget the lights you’ll be using and a prepped growing space.

How do I set up my plants using the SCOG method?

The screen should be around 8 inches above the pots. It’s best to keep the plants as close to the light as possible while leaving enough space for the plants to grow large colas. Plan on allowing each plant to have 12 square inches on the screen.

Carefully slide the tops of the plants through the screen without allowing the branches to hover above it. Tie them down using string if necessary. Once flowering begins, the branches will grow and naturally stay beneath the mesh.

When can I begin flowering?

Generally, after two weeks and when about 70% of the screen is filled with cannabis colas.

Should I prune?

Yes! Pruning back fan leaves will ensure the colas gain the majority of the light. Fan leaves steal energy and hinder flower development which could lead to popcorn buds. Learn More: Cannabis Popcorn Buds & What to Do with Them? As the plants grow, fan leaves do become easier to tuck under the mesh screen, but this may cause mold and mildew, which leads us to the next question.

How do I prevent mold and mildew while using the SCOG method?

Because the plants are compact and growing so close to one another, mold and mildew are possible. To prevent this, invest in two fans for the grow area: one to pull in fresh air and one to push out the hot air. It also helps to have self-cooling lights.

And that’s all there is to growing cannabis using the Screen of Green method. It works well when being used hand-in-hand with the sea of green method – which is essentially just turning your lights on 12 hours and off 12 hours to force flowering to begin early (like at two weeks as mentioned above). Combining the methods will increase yield in half the time.

Curious about improving the quality of your grow? Check out our article: Music Will Help Your Weed Grow to Its Full Potential: The Research.