 |
The Sea of Green method involves growing the plants close together so that they form a solid canopy, maximizing light coverage. It’s a low-stress technique that involves utilizing smaller plants to their full potential, taking advantage of their size instead of wasting space. The branches, leaves, and buds wind together, creating a “sea of cannabis”, a more solid area than if grown separately. This creates better yields per foot because it encourages outward growing instead of upwards, and also shortens the time to flower, meaning you can have harvests more often.
Short, burly plants do well with SOG, so Indica’s are most often used. The closer the size and growing habits match, the more even the canopy, so using the same strains of plant is most often used. SOG is very popular when using clones for this reason.
Ounces per plant are lower with SOG, but ounces per footage go up, so SOG works very well when vertical space is limited. Be careful not to overdo how tightly the plant spacing is, they still need proper airflow and room to expand. No more than two dense plants per foot2 is ideal. Pests and other ailments can be a problem with SOG, they spread quickly because of the plant’s close proximity. All the plants need to be at identical height and growth stage to take full advantage of this technique, and you need to limit your cultivars to short ones. However, SOG most efficiently utilizes resources such as tent area and light, less pruning, less waste, and it’s easy enough for beginner growers to utilize. It also shortens the blooming time, shortening overall grow time.
Good Luck!