I'm going to show you why I prefer to use a scrog net system in a grow tent as well as showing you how to do so.
Intro
When your optimizing your grow tent space, a full canopy under the light will give you the best yield. A cannabis plant will naturally create one main cola bud. Our goal with scrog (screen of green) is to spread that natural energy to make many different tops , colas in flower. To achieve this we will use topping (a way to turn one branch into two). We will also use some low stress training (LST) which is a system of bending branches under a scrog net to create more main branches.
Single plant growing. If you have limited plant count, a great way to still provide yourself with enough flower is to optimize your canopy. Using a scrog net system allows you to bend over your branches and force smaller side branches to grow vertically and thus makes them main tops as well. Low stress training (LST) reduces the amount of recovery time needed by plant. Think of it like a race car..go fast and never slow down.
How to scrog
Start your plant training while still small by topping as much as you can and thinning out smaller lower branches that just are not going to have enough energy to be big enough to even make it up to the first trellis screen. These cuts are great to use for clones if your running a perpetual crop.
Video explaining how to train your plants early in veg to ready for scrog.
When you are ready to put into grow tent to work on your scrog, make sure plant is healthy and transplanted into its final container. I recommend minimum 7 gal smart pot or similar.
check out this video for transplant into grow tent with scrog:
As branches begin to grow up above the scrog net try to pull under the next scrog square to help those small side branches reach up and become main tops themselves. The goal in doing this is to have good branches coming up in all squares in scrog. Don't flip to flower till you have screen filled up and you are confident that your gonna have a lot of good colas in flower.
Don't forget to trim (lollipop) all underside branches that aren't making it up into the screen. This will give you better growth to the tops.
check out this video explaining scrog training:
and this video:
When you have the screen filled in .. time to flip. Flipping to flower just means changing your light cycle to 12 hours on, 12 hours off. Now as it begins to flower you will get some stretch before it fully flowers. This is strain specific and you will figure out only after running this strain a time or two. Every time you run your strain you will learn when the best time to flip to flower.
here is a video of flowing cycle:
Now your whole goal here is to keep your plant happy and healthy. Check for deficiencies, pests, environment, lights. Make sure nothing is going to slow down your growth. You can now make sure that your support net is in place to support flowers.
another video for this phase:
Now if everything goes good than you will be ready to harvest about 8 to 10 weeks after your flip. If you can use a jewelers loop or similar to scope the trichomes. You will be looking for the trichomes to be fully white (not clear) and some amber. I like to pull when about 20% Amber is showing.
I prefer to full plant hang or at least large chunks with all leaves. I only do a dry trim. For more info on curing check out my blog post on Cannabis curing.
Congratulations you did it!!! ,,,,, now do it again.