First-Time SCroG/FIM Every Top Crop (w/Pics)

This will be my 5th crop, I have grown with soil from seed the whole time. I wanted to try SCroG because I always liked the idea of a real bushy plant, like a hedge. I have been FIM'ing every top I see!

I have 2 plants that I harvested that are re-vegging(and quite well I might add), and a plant in veg started from seed. I have used the FIM technique on every single top I see, I FIM'd after the first 4 shoots, and I got 2 tops after that. I let it go for a week, then it had 4 new tops. I FIM'd every last one of them. The re-vegging plants have been subject to the same treatment after the new growth developed new shoots.

So in all I'll be using for this grow:
Setup:
20"x30" SCroG net suspended with chains
2 350w CFLs
2 pots
1 DWC mini-bubble cloner
1 Stationary fan
1 12v Computer fan

Everything else
Monterey Fish/Guano liquid fert
Pure Cane Sugar
StartRight Water Conditioner
Honey for wounds and possibly as a clone rooting gel

I'll post updates every few days.

Here's some pics


Have fun with you own projects!

Here is what I've topped and a bird's eye view

For vegging, I use MiracleGro Liquid 12-4-8 fert combo'd with 5 pebbles of dolomite lime, 1TBSP pure brown sugar, and a couple drops of this StartRight water conditioner.
For flowering, I use MiracleGro Crystal 15-30-15 solution(I have two boxes that are years old so I don't know if they are even on store shelves anymore), a couple pebbles of dolomite lime, 2TBSP Pure Brown Sugar, and a couple drops of the StartRight.
These are the only nutes I have been using, suggest more if you think they'd help. I would like very much to expand my nute collection with natural things like the sugar and lime.

Feel free to post in this Journal all you like, I am open to every suggestion!

[video=youtube;TdKGxsIA3C4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdKGxsIA3C4[/video]

UPDATE: I just got finished hanging the new SCroG net I made with 3/4in PVC. It's 20"x30" and it looks absolutely beautiful!
The new net allows much further light distribution and penetration, and the shiny new chain system makes it very adjustable!
Here's what it looks like:
[video=youtube;QzH6Dow1Fmc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzH6Dow1Fmc[/video]

[video=youtube;S_QKTwQjPFg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_QKTwQjPFg[/video]

I did actually use sand 3 or 4 crops ago in my medium and have kept it since. I find with spegnum moss and MiracleGro organic soil it still holds waaaay too much water, even in the pots without sand in the medium. I'm pushing it watering the stuff in this soil every 4 days!
I'm thinking of using honey to attack the root rot, though.still have more research to do.
I personally think SCroG eliminates the need for all the bending and such seeing as it gets all of the LST it needs in the net, but my power bar fell on one of the plants and cracked that bitch in half, but today, it looks like nothing happened.
Today I bought some Fish/Guano fert I'll be replacing the MiracleGro liquid fert with. I hope it helps!
[video=youtube;ub4ViSLriU0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub4ViSLriU0[/video]

[video=youtube;gKIrJgqWx3c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKIrJgqWx3c[/video]
I filmed this a few hours ago. Everything is taking well to everything I've tried! I cut the remaining portion of stem where there was no re-growth and applied honey to the wound, the plant suffered no shock whatsoever. I continue to FIM all tops I see, and the radio I set up for the plants provides a great ambiance. I heard "Legalize It" and went and danced with the plants! So much growth. The clone box has proven to be more than I had could have imagined, the sprout I found and put in there.
Any comment or criticism is appreciated.

Looks very nice. Only a couple things I would look at. The string for the screen looks like it might hold moisture somewhat. Also the screen should be set at a certain height, say 7-15" from the pot. This height is a preference and should give you enough room to get under the screen and pull branches back down and through, as well as thin and remove some of the undergrowth which will get no light. I set mine at around 9" and this gives me plenty of room.

Then veg to your screen, repositioning branches until your screen is somewhere between 20-70% full. This is dependent on strain and I would say a good base is 40-60% full for an indica and 20-40% full for a sativa dom. Flip the photo period and finish positioning during the first couple of weeks during flower stretch.

I also recommend training under the screen as opposed to weaving through the screen. Makes moving a stubborn branch alot easier.

stoneslacker said:

Looks very nice. Only a couple things I would look at. The string for the screen looks like it might hold moisture somewhat. Also the screen should be set at a certain height, say 7-15" from the pot. This height is a preference and should give you enough room to get under the screen and pull branches back down and through, as well as thin and remove some of the undergrowth which will get no light. I set mine at around 9" and this gives me plenty of room.

Then veg to your screen, repositioning branches until your screen is somewhere between 20-70% full. This is dependent on strain and I would say a good base is 40-60% full for an indica and 20-40% full for a sativa dom. Flip the photo period and finish positioning during the first couple of weeks during flower stretch.

I also recommend training under the screen as opposed to weaving through the screen. Makes moving a stubborn branch alot easier.

Click to expand...

I understand those stubborn branches. I like to really open them up, strecthing them under the screen for extreme light exposure! I also find that it provides a lot of LST. I find that the moist strings haven't been a problem yet as I water underneath them and try to be precise with my foilar feeding, but I get any related troubles during flowering, I'll know what to blame.

Good deal man! I am interested to see how this turns out. I always wanted to FIM the hell out of a plant and see what kind of canopy I could scrog so this is right up my alley. I would keep an eye on overcrowding though, I am not sure what strain you are growing, but my first grow I FIMed the top of my 2 indica plants and flipped to 12/12 too soon. They didn't stretch as much as I anticipated and my canopy didn't spread out, but stayed tight together and got overcrowded quick. Still it all worked out in the end just more labor intensive through flowering than it should have been.

Anyhow good luck man, I'm subbing and keeping an eye on this. Peace

stoneslacker said:

Good deal man! I am interested to see how this turns out. I always wanted to FIM the hell out of a plant and see what kind of canopy I could scrog so this is right up my alley. I would keep an eye on overcrowding though, I am not sure what strain you are growing, but my first grow I FIMed the top of my 2 indica plants and flipped to 12/12 too soon. They didn't stretch as much as I anticipated and my canopy didn't spread out, but stayed tight together and got overcrowded quick. Still it all worked out in the end just more labor intensive through flowering than it should have been.

Anyhow good luck man, I'm subbing and keeping an eye on this. Peace

Click to expand...

Thanks for the sub and support!
I have a feeling I might run into the same problem, what technique do you find best suited to prevent this overcrowding?

[video=youtube;XssDXvsH3yI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XssDXvsH3yI[/video]

[video=youtube;PQnvsPZQYWU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQnvsPZQYWU[/video]

[video=youtube;bI3whTn_8b8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI3whTn_8b8[/video]

We have ladies! All three plants are showing calyxes! Oh Boy!
Also, Foilar feeding every 2 days with 1/2 strength nutes and the nutes are Fish/guano Liquid, pure cane sugar, and Dechlorinator.
My plants have grown phenomenally and some days showed the most ridiculous growth spurts, 4 inches on the new guy!
FIM'd last week, every top. All growth but fan leaves beneath the screen is clipped.

Feel free to give advice because the advice have gotten has helped me in leaps and bounds!

Here comes video update #8!

[video=youtube;v2mZsl1l9nE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2mZsl1l9nE[/video]

Here are some bud sites and a piece of plant I'm rather curious about. Also, a video update.
[video=youtube;dIOaVI-Y9hw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIOaVI-Y9hw[/video]

I am so excited. The end of the 3rd day of pre-flowering, and I can't wait to see all of the growth that is going to spring up.

The plant on the left is now named Clover, and covers at least 1.5 sq. ft. of the screen. The center plant, named Rhubarb, is now covering 1 sq. ft. of the screen. The plant on far right, named Budsy, now covers 8 sq. in. of the screen. I did quite a bit of trimming today, there was quite a bit of new growth beneath the screen that escaped my eye.

There are 8 seedlings, 6 in their own pot and 1 in each pot occupied with the plants named above. The fate and future of these seedlings is currently unknown, as there are 4 seedlings that which I did not plant.

The clone planted in the soil has regained life and is showing leaf growth. This comes as quite the surprise, seeing as I planted it in soil for 1 month, moved it to the bubble cloner for 2 weeks, and now it has been in the soil for a second time for 3-4 weeks. Could it be that the power of the water is so strong that it revives such a long dead plant?

Please provide constructive criticism, and feel free to leave any comment you like.