Should You Use a SCROG Net in DWC?

Why

SCROG means “screen of green.” Supporters say an even canopy puts more tops at a similar distance from the light. That’s the reasoning behind the bigger-yield claim. The net can also support branches.

Those benefits deserve consideration. So do the extra work and inconvenience.

There’s the setup and upkeep. The net can make moving individual plants and reaching equipment more difficult. It can also limit how far you can lift the lid, making the roots harder to inspect.

The glamour shots never show the grower trying to defoliate in the middle or back of the tent.

Then there’s crowding. With four plants in my four-by-four tent, I’ve seen it firsthand.

Dense, overlapping foliage shades the leaves underneath and can restrict air movement. Those shaded leaves have less light available for photosynthesis. A canopy can look beautifully even from above and still be crowded below.

That can happen with or without a net. A full screen alone doesn’t tell you how productive the whole grow will be.

I’ve tried growing with and without a net multiple times, and I’ve gotten better yields without it.

That doesn’t prove the net caused the difference. It does explain why I don’t consider it essential for my setup.

If you want to try SCROG, that’s fine. Just don’t expect the net to magically deliver a bigger harvest.