reg

OldBasilisk

Not bad info.

Welcome to SAT. We do not intend to introduce the world of Scrog to the world as there is sufficient information on the web to provide the basics. Instead, our goal is to open the minds of growers and advance the evolution of this popular method.

What is Scrog?
Fundamentals of Scrog growing under small lights- by SCW 1999


Pictures taken after a 2 week flush.
Click on the images below to view.


Early Growth.
Scrogging has always been done from clones as far as I'm concerned. This often means that the genetics from the chosen mother(s) are reliable and will perform, to say the least. Only when the grower has a full understanding of the specific traits of their strain(s) will the Scrog truly produce. Poor genetics will never produce efficiently no matter what tactics employed. In order to decide the amount of clones to use, first one must decide which of three styles best suits their needs.
3 choices for early growth. Advantages Disadvantages
1. Minimum # of plants spread over the entire grow space. Safety Long Veg
2. Max # of plants, compact environment. Quick Veg High Risk
3. Medium # of plants, balance of the two. Average Average
I have tried all three methods, and came to realize that there are more factors to consider once you scratch away the surface. I found that #1 produces the most visually appealing colas. It also requires the most patience and careful attention to deficiencies. Soil growers will find this method the most labor intensive between cycles. The accumulated longer veg time calculated over the period of 1 year, did not produce enough to justify the gains that can be had with shorter cycles. In fact, I prefer method #2 for quick cycles as well as well as a notable increase in vigor from smaller clones . In general, #3 is a good rule of thumb for basic flat scrog.
Clones are started according to the expected flowering rate of 3-4 plants per ft2, although as little as 2 plants per ft2 has produced comparable results depending on the size of the plant at induction. The goal during the early veg period is to gain as much plant material as possible to support the vigorous vegetative production in the near future. Do not worry about the lower plant health too much, as it will all be removed in due time. Once the plant has reached the height of 5-6" it is immediately topped.
Topping
A plant will develop and flower normally if not topped. So why top? Here's why:

These plants were allowed to grow untopped and developed the largest colas in the canopy. But that was a complete waste of light! Since the goal of a Scrog is to produce an uniform canopy to effectively maximize the usage of light, overgrown buds like these defeats the purpose. Although these colas were crimped, the light had to be raised to compensate which affected the rest of the canopy. An untopped plant does not necessarily produce this type of effect all the time, but most growers will somehow always find a cola which distinctively overshadows neighboring sites.
The fact of the matter is: hormones which accumulate in the main growth tip will always be in greater concentrations than those found in younger shoots at the same horizontal plane. The act of topping, forces the plant to divert it's resources to the surrounding shoots, "leveling out" the dispersal of these resources. This produces a more uniform canopy
The benefits of topping are:
1. Height control
2. Uniform cola development
3. Increased response to branching.
4. Increased # of bud sites per 2" square.
5. Greater yield.
There is no argument that a topped plant grown bush style out yields an untopped plant - So why is a scrog plant any different? I for one have gone through enough topped grows, to confidently state that topping will increase overall yields.
The main drawback from topping is disrupting the plants hormonal balance. The worst possible scenario? Inflicting enough injury to cause the plant to divert it's resources to heal wounds, at which point, growth literally stops! The goal is to avoid both of the above, and remove as little plant material as possible yet still remove the actual tip to ensure a complete cut. The perfect tool for this task can be found at hospital suppliers or your local drugstore, often called "cuticle scissors". The very narrow cutting tips on these scissors are ideal for the delicate task.
Ok, so how do you top?
Simply peel back as many layers of leaves as possible from the growth tip, until only a small tiny cluster consisting of a single pair of immature leaves and the uppermost stem tip, can be removed with the narrow tips of cuticle scissors. If done correctly the plant will continue to grow and the result of the procedure can be seen in as little as 24 hours.

Active Vegetative Growth
I've always tried to maintain the plant height at a maximum of 12" during veg. After the first initial topping, the following two shoots are usually trained horizontally resulting in a "T" rather than a "V". As those shoots grow longer, they are spiraled back towards the center. Since height is already established from this point, I only need to be concerned about maintaining the same height until the cycle is ready to switch. If overgrowth occurs due to excessively long veg periods, I'll often remove the uppermost sections of a plant to maintain a uniform height. Keep in mind that although a significant amount of plant matter is removed, the root mass still continues to grow and is relatively large in comparison to the plant's actual size. The stems are also relatively thick for it's size, and continue to thicken. By using this method, a fully mature, 12" bushy plant with an extremely large root mass and thick stems, is ready to flower.


Pre flower Transplant

For the space efficiency, and convenience, I choose to transplant a clone twice before it's flowered. 10 days after it was cut, and 1 day before it's flowered. The only planters I use are square or rectangular in shape. Round pots waste valuable root space, and are usually too shallow.
The planters shown here are regular wastepaper baskets. Each 3 gallon container supports two plants, which never showed any signs of being root bound. An example of the how the "Pipes connect the root mass to the canopy."



Twist Ties *Copied from a previous document*
I swear by twist ties and have a huge stock. They can be found just about anywhere. Purchase ties
which are most flexible (wire with the smallest diameter) and coated with plastic not paper, as the paper
will eventually mold.
So why twist tie?
Two reasons when training for in any screen application.
1. Pre-training. (Exact placement of main stems, growth shoots and branches)
2. Bud-training.(Bending, stem crushing/crimping, and repositioning)

When initially induced to 12/12, the main tip/tips that hit the netting are immediately trained 90 degrees
perpendicular to the netting. This allows for the light to concentrate the most productive part of the
plant, forcing the most efficient production the plant can dish out. Branches under the netting are
allowed some time to reach the light, but less than half will see light because you're concentrating on
efficiency. The most efficient growth will occur where the main stem bends on a 90 degree and beyond,
which receives the most light.
I like to leave the ties long enough for the plant hold the shape desired. Main stem usually around the
second week (give or take) , and branches will always vary. Branches coming off the main stem parallel
to the netting are spread as far from the main stem as possible making for a even canopy, more bud
sites per square, and controlling overall height.
To a certain ex

booganja

uh....how bout just pass along the web location next time?
boo

bikeit_2000

OldBasilisk
It was great reading material,But pictures would make it more fun to read.Even if you do not have any showing the setup,then use a couple of nudes to KEEP our attention.
But the whole post in all is EXCELLENT!
Bikeit