ScrOG Net
A horizontal screen of mesh used to train cannabis canopies flat for even light distribution and higher yields.
A ScrOG net is just a horizontal grid you weave plant branches through to flatten the canopy. It's a legitimate, well-established training technique — not a gimmick. The real benefit is light distribution and airflow, not magic. Whether you use rigid PVC, nylon trellis netting, or string doesn't matter much. What matters is that you actually tuck branches through it weekly during veg and early flower. Skip the tucking and it's just expensive netting.
Definition
A ScrOG net is a horizontal screen — usually nylon trellis netting or strung line — suspended above the growing medium. Growers weave cannabis branches through the squares to force a flat, even canopy. "ScrOG" is short for Screen of Green, a training method popularized in indoor cannabis cultivation in the 1990s and 2000s [1][2]. The net itself is the physical tool; the method is the technique.
What it does
The net spreads bud sites horizontally so each cola receives similar light intensity, which is the dominant driver of flower yield and density under fixed-wattage lighting Strong evidence[3]. A flat canopy also improves airflow between colas, reducing microclimates that favor Botrytis cinerea (bud rot) Strong evidence[4].
Practical outcomes growers report:
- More uniform bud size across the canopy
- Better use of horizontal light footprint in small tents
- Branch support during late flower when colas get heavy
- Easier defoliation and inspection access
What it doesn't do
A ScrOG net does not increase potency, cannabinoid content, or terpene production on its own No data. Claims that "scrogging boosts THC" are folklore — chemistry is governed primarily by genetics, light spectrum/intensity, and harvest timing, not training method.
It also doesn't replace good environmental control. A perfectly scrogged canopy in a humid, stagnant tent will still get bud rot. And it doesn't help much with autoflowers or very short-veg plants that finish before they fill the screen.
How it's used
The net is installed during vegetative growth, typically 20–40 cm above the pots. As branches grow, the grower tucks them under and over the squares — "weaving" — once or twice per week. Tucking usually stops partway into the flowering stretch (around weeks 2–3 of 12/12) once the canopy is full, because cannabis flowers don't bend easily once they've set [2].
ScrOG is often combined with topping, LST (low-stress training), and defoliation. It is most common in small indoor tents (60×60 cm to 150×150 cm) where maximizing every square centimeter of light matters.
Used in articles
See Screen of Green (ScrOG), low-stress training, topping, canopy management, and indoor grow tent setup.
Sources
- Book Cervantes, J. (2006). Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible. Van Patten Publishing.
- Book Rosenthal, E. (2010). Marijuana Grower's Handbook: Your Complete Guide for Medical and Personal Marijuana Cultivation. Quick American Publishing.
- Peer-reviewed Chandra, S., Lata, H., Khan, I. A., & ElSohly, M. A. (2008). Photosynthetic response of Cannabis sativa L. to variations in photosynthetic photon flux densities, temperature and CO2 conditions. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 14(4), 299–306.
- Peer-reviewed Punja, Z. K. (2021). Emerging diseases of Cannabis sativa and sustainable management. Pest Management Science, 77(9), 3857–3870.
How this page was made
Generation history
Drafting assistance and fact-check automation are used, with a human operator spot-checking on a weekly basis. See how articles are made.
Related
- Low-Stress Training (LST) — A gentle plant training technique that uses bending and tying to flatten the canopy and ex...