Should I SCROG?

[meffa]

I have 5 ladies that are just a couple of days into flower and they're really bushy so I'm thinking about setting up a scrog. I topped them twice using Nebula's method. I've never setup a SCROG and have been reading up on the benefits and drawbacks. They're in a 4'x8' and I have full access to the back of the tent.

Seems the biggest drawback is it basically prevents you from moving the plants. I have the time and ambition, so if it'll really benefit with yield I'll go for it.

Any suggestions if I go down this road? Should I make it height adjustable? When should I set it up? Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Nunyabiz]

Not sure at this point that it would do you that much good, once you start to bud you're pretty much set as far as your canopy goes.
The SCROG can hold up your buds better is about it.

Usually its best to start the SCROG about half way into veg stage and fill up the SCROG in veg then flip to flower once its filled and as even as you can get it.

 

[Emilya Green]

Back in the days when we used florescent light arrays to bloom with, where the lights were most effective at 4 inches away from the top of the plants, and when large plant counts could get you into large trouble, many of us used the scrog technique to get great production out of just a couple of plants and to have an even enough upper canopy to be able to get the light arrays in that close.

Scrogging is a pita though, and easily will need an hour or two every day in training your plants to grow under that screen during late veg and during stretch, and then harvesting off of the screen is a whole new lesson in frustration as the plants get very tangled up on the wires.

In todays world of very good lighting I see little benefit to the old scrog method... it is much easier to just train a vertically growing plant. But, if you want to scrog, do it right. set your screen at 10 inches above the soil and force your plants horizontal at that point. If you are simply setting up a screen to give vertical support midway up the plant by using a screen, that is not a scrog, it is a trellis.

 

[Momma's Kitchen]

Beautiful Canopy! I'm with @Nunyabiz

Don't fix something that ain't broke.

 

[meffa]

Ok, thank you all for the good feedback. I topped to keep height in check and thought an added benefit was that it would help support the buds. Emilya hit it right on the head that they don't really give support, which I was thinking the scrog might provide. I have yo-yo's if it gets to that point. Thanks again for the quick replies!

 

[Reave]

that is not a scrog, it is a trellis.

I find this to be a common misnomenclature. Plenty of trellis supports called a scrog for some reason.

 

[Nunyabiz]

Depends on the SCROG.
If its high up or a double SCROG it does help hold buds up.
Mine are always fairly low because I start the SCROG as early in veg as I can so not much if any help holding buds up.
I use yo-yos and pipe cleaners for that.
Every plant that I plan to veg for more than about 5 weeks I definitely use a SCROG to keep the canopy even, its much easier than tying down 75 buds.

 

[SmokingWings]

I find this to be a common misnomenclature. Plenty of trellis supports called a scrog for some reason.

'Cause a well done and successful SCRoG looks impressive. Then when their plant starts to grow beyond their expectations they realize that maybe a screen will help support the top heavy branches so they think that the SCRoG will help.

I plan on training the plant for an even canopy and accomplishing the same thing as a SCRoG but without having to build one of those miserable things.

 

[meffa]

Do you folks leave a lot (or any) side branches when creating a manifold? I have each time but am being more selective this time around. I've been removing anything that doesn't make it to the top, and on the side branches I'm removing more lower growth and leaving mostly just the tops compared to the main colas.

Is the intent with manifolding to only keep the primary colas? Are the side branches sucking the life out of the main colas?