SCROG (Screen of Green)

Screen of Green (SCROG) is a cultivation method in which a horizontal trellis or netting — typically 5–10 cm square mesh — is installed above the substrate surface, and plant branches are woven through the grid during late vegetative growth to produce a single, planar canopy. By forcing lateral growth and maintaining all flowering sites at a uniform distance from the light source, SCROG equalizes PPFD across bud sites, suppresses understory "popcorn" development, and improves air circulation (Zheng 2021). Caplan et al. (2018) and subsequent work on canopy architecture indicate that even light distribution is a primary determinant of uniform cannabinoid accumulation, a principle consistent with Danziger & Bernstein's (2021a) finding that light-penetration-enhancing architectures increase lower-inflorescence cannabinoid concentrations. SCROG is typically deployed with 1–4 plants per m², contrasting with SOG's high-density, low-training approach. Etymology: acronym of "Screen of Green," coined on alt.drugs.pot.cultivation Usenet groups in the mid-1990s. Synonyms/slang: scrogging, screen, net. → See also: SOG, LST, Indoor, Yield (Industry).