ScrOG Net
Horizontal trellis screen used to flatten and even out the cannabis canopy during growth.
A ScrOG net is a practical tool for small indoor spaces—it spreads branches flat so light hits more bud sites evenly. It does not boost THC, terpenes, or potency by itself. Those are locked in by genetics, light spectrum, and harvest timing. The real benefit is yield per watt and cleaner harvests in tents where horizontal footprint matters more than height.
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]. The net itself is the physical tool; the training technique is the method of tucking and weaving branches through it.
What it does
A ScrOG net distributes branches horizontally so that more bud sites are positioned in the upper canopy where light intensity is highest Weak / limited[2]. A flatter, more even canopy also improves airflow between colas, reducing microclimates and moisture stagnation that favor Botrytis cinerea (bud rot) Strong evidence[3].
Practical outcomes growers commonly report:
- More uniform bud size across the canopy
- Better use of horizontal light footprint in small tents
- Branch support during late flower when colas become heavy
- Easier inspection and selective defoliation
These benefits are most pronounced in confined spaces where light distribution and canopy height are limiting factors.
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 unsupported folklore—cannabinoid synthesis is governed primarily by genetics, light spectrum and intensity, nutrient availability, and harvest timing, not by branch positioning.
It also does not replace good environmental control. A perfectly scrogged canopy in a humid, stagnant tent will still develop bud rot. Additionally, ScrOG is inefficient for autoflowering varieties or short-vegetative plants that finish before they have time to fill the screen.
How it's used
The net is typically installed 20–40 cm above the pots during the vegetative stage. As branches grow, the grower tucks them under and over the net squares—a process called "weaving"—once or twice per week. Tucking usually continues until the canopy is full and the flowering stretch has begun (around weeks 2–3 of a 12/12 light schedule), at which point flowers are too rigid to bend easily without breaking.
ScrOG is commonly combined with topping, LST (low-stress training), and defoliation to manage canopy density. It is most widely used in small indoor tents (60×60 cm to 150×150 cm) where maximizing light penetration and horizontal space is a priority.
Sources
- Book Cervantes, J. (2006). Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible. Van Patten 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.
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Related
- Low-Stress Training (LST) — A gentle, non-cutting technique to flatten cannabis plants and maximize light exposure to...
- PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) — The light wavelengths plants use for photosynthesis, and how growers measure them.