DIY Cannabis SCROG Screen Kit: Build, Size, Train

A DIY SCROG screen kit needs four parts: a frame, corner fittings, mesh, and anchors. Cut the frame to your tent footprint, set mesh openings at 2 to 4 inches, and place the screen 20 to 24 inches above the medium. A 4x4 build costs $20 to $35 in parts.

Cannabis Scrog Setup Cost Guide: What You Need to Know

What a SCROG screen does

SCROG means screen of green. The screen holds shoots flat so each top sits at the same height. Light reaches nodes that would sit in shade under an untrained plant. A flat canopy also spreads airflow and lowers the chance of mold in dense bud sites.

How High Should a SCROG Net Be Above Plants? Height Guide

Frame sizes and mesh spacing

Match the frame to the tent. Common footprints are 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, 4x8, and 5x5 ft.

When to Start Scrog Training Cannabis

• 2 inch openings: small tents, short veg time, thin stems.
• 3 to 4 inch openings: most builds, plants with thick stems.
• 6 inch trellis netting: stretches to about 3.5 to 4 inch squares when pulled tight.

Mason line at 3 inch spacing gives the same result as store netting and costs less.

cannabis scrog setup for 4x4 tent

Materials list

• 1/2 inch PVC pipe or 2x2 lumber, cut to footprint plus 4 inch overhang
• Four 3-way corner fittings (PVC) or four corner brackets and screws (wood)
• 25 to 50 ft of nylon trellis netting or mason line
• 8 to 12 screw eyes or zip ties for mesh anchors
• Tape measure, saw or pipe cutter, drill

Cost: $15 for a 2x2 build, $20 to $35 for a 4x4 build.

Build steps

1. Cut four frame sides to the tent width and depth.
2. Cut four legs to your chosen height, 20 to 24 inches for most setups.
3. Join the frame with corner fittings.
4. Attach the legs at the corners and check the frame sits level.
5. Mark mesh points every 3 inches on two opposite sides.
6. Run line back and forth across the frame, then repeat in the other direction.
7. Pull each line tight and tie off. Slack line will not hold shoots.

Screen height

Standard height is 20 to 24 inches above the medium surface. Tents under 5 ft tall need 14 to 18 inches. Screen height plus stretch sets the top of the canopy. A 24 inch screen plus 24 inches of flower stretch needs 48 inches of headroom above the pot.

Training steps

1. Top or bend plants when shoots reach the screen.
2. Tuck each shoot under the mesh and move it one square outward.
3. Repeat every 2 to 3 days during veg.
4. Fill 70 to 80 percent of the screen before switching to 12/12.
5. Stop tucking 2 to 3 weeks into flower. Stems harden and snap.

Common errors

• Mesh too loose. Shoots push the line up and the canopy lifts.
• Screen too high. Stretch fills the tent and burns the top colas.
• No defoliation below the screen. Leaves block air and light.
• Overfilling. Touching buds hold moisture and rot.