Preparing for the Green Sea
Today is a very special day. First, I'd like to say happy birthday to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I was really happy that KXCI Tucson had a program dedicated to the work and struggles of civil rights and even showcased Dr. King's speeches throughout the day. It was really nice to hear his passionate voice and honor the struggles we went through as a nation just a half century ago. I hope our history doesn't repeat the racial injustice we've had for such a long time. I think after this week our country will begin to heal and our progress will be a guiding light for the world again. I hope you all had a great MLK day.
A Sea of Green:
Today we'll be doing story time with Pinky. Once upon a time there was a lonely gardener who dreamed of his garden. In the dream he sat on a rock at the edge of his garden and his garden extended as far as the sea. The sea was green and bright. It glistened in the sunlight like stars and crystals. Then the gardener woke up. He went to his small garden and laughed, surprised that he was not dreaming of a sea of green.
The Sea of Green is not an actual fable. It is a technique gardeners use to make a high yielding harvest.
Many have used the term "scrog" or "screen of green" - either term follows the same principle - utilizing your surface area for maximum production. For my plants I follow the scrog technique for my flowers. It's an inexpensive weekend project that will pay off when your plants fully mature. This technique allows the gardener to use a cage to expand their plant's surface area, inadvertently allowing the plant to produce more product.
Constructing the cage:
The scrog cage fits over your plant's canopy. When your plant begins to grow through the cage, the gardener gently pins the excess growth to the cage, expanding the plant's surface area horizontally. This will allow more sites for your plants to produce flowers. It also helps keep the plant's shape contained and trained to grow uniformly. Right before I change my light schedule I build a scrog cage. These are the parts you will need:
2 x 10ft of 1/2 inch schedule 80 PVC pipe
4 x 1/2 inch elbow fittings
4 x 1/2 inch end fittings
String (preferably 3-ply with no dyes)
Scissors
My scrog cage was put together by leftover pipe from multiple lengths. I had to add coupling fittings to complete the cage. If you're starting out with fresh supplies you won't need the couplings. Also, unlike plumbing jobs, you will not need any hot blue PVC glue - fittings naturally pinch into the PVC, holding together for the entire growth process. Measure out your pipe pieces that will fit in your grow area and cut the PVC to length, making your PVC pipes into the shape of a table. My scrog cage legs are about 3 feet tall. Keep in mind, your plants will vigorously grow to six feet if kept unattended, so three feet for the cage is suitable. My 5 gallon reservoirs are 15 inches tall, giving my plant about 20 inches of growth before they reach the cage.
Why am I NOT growing my plant any taller? Well, you don't want a Christmas tree size plant. It will produce a lot of flowers but the time and energy to get to such a large harvest isn't worth it. Your plant will grow several feet in the wild naturally and then begin producing flowers. No need to grow giants, especially if you're growing it in your spare bedroom for private use.
Once you've assembled your PVC "table", now you must add on a screen. I use a 3-ply nylon string. Tie the string the width of the cage first, separating the string about three inches apart. Tie another set of strings perpendicular to the width. You can lace in the perpendicular strings with the width strings, making a stronger cage overall.
Now you should have a scrog cage to fit over your garden. In the next few weeks, your plant's foliage will reach the screen. When the foliage emerges out of the screen, take a plant tie and pin it to the string. By this time your plant will be producing flowers. Let the flowers pass the screen but keep the remaining plant to the cage. These cages may also pose as a problem for those who want to change out the water reservoir. What I do is fill the reservoir 1 gallon at a time, adding nutrients and checking the water pH by gently sliding over the lid. You may have to do this only once, since your plant's harvest time is weeks away.
I set my lights to exactly one foot above the scrog cage. For flowering, the TS-600 recommends the plant grows at 12 inches from the LEDs for maximum yields. Why not be specific in your pursuits?
If you have any questions, please let me know. Happy gardening! Happy MLK Day!
Pinky
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