SCROG screen alternatives?

[McChris421]

i just made my scrog with weedwacker line. it seems to work well but all this talk of bad pvc has me concerned as i made the legs of my scrog out of pvc.

-McChris-

 

[alphacat]

I don't know that a mesh or weave is even required...

It just occurred to me that you can't read my mind and thereby know my SCROG screen needs are slightly different from normal SCROGs... (durrr, sorry FreezerBoy!) See, this is for a vertical cylinder SCROG, so it's not going to be a flat plane where I could just tie them across the horizontal space: it's gonna need to either have enough rigidity on its own to hold the upright form, or it's gonna need to be able to be suspended on a frame of some sort. NOW - that said - I could still do something with only vertical strings on something like a cylindrical lamp shade frame, but the horizontal strings going around the circumference might get tricky there. I could just do a little spot of silicone glue at the vert/horiz. strings' intersections tho...

you can buy pvc coated chicken wire ive never had any issues with making my plants sick or rust no problems at all.

Hey Icon, thanks for dropping through! Actually, the issue with PVC isn't with short term plant toxicity or anything like that; it's that PVC has toxic chemicals that - over time with exposure to hear, water, etc - release carcinogens (chemicals that cause cancer in humans) and other nasties. We've all been using PVC for a long time so we think "eh, how toxic could it really be?" However, when it comes to stuff like Benzene & Pthalates I'd rather not fuck around. Read up on 'em, then maybe reconsider if you want to continue using them: they're all but banned in Europe at this point, and the only reason they're still around here is because the plastics lobby has resisted all attempts at regulation, but it looks like they're [thankfully] losing.

Rust seems like less of an issue. You see tomato plants growing on rusty shit all the time, right? I think rusty metal with an indoor grow is just asking for mold or something tho - perhaps I'm wrong.

You could always go the proven-safe route and use the stuff I've used outdoors to tie down plants (or hold them to support beams)...you could definitely make a scrog screen out of it. just pick up 2 of those 16' ones.

Good tip - thanks SativaDreams. Maybe instead of a screen I just do a big, ongoing tie-down big LST, like Cork144 says too? Hmmm... [scratches chin]

I've got it... BAMBOO DOWELS! You can "weave" (or not) your own screen out of 1/8" bamboo dowels. Cheap and green. Check it out...

Would you believe I already thought of this?! HA! Sick minds think alike. The one thing about bamboo is that although they're naturally anti-microbial (good) they tend to sprout mold fast in high humidity (bad.) I only know because I've used 'em in a high-humidity terrarium. Still, maybe given the right amount of ventilation...? I'm gonna keep searching for now though.

Hoosierdaddy- thanks for dropping by too. I'm actually trying to avoid PVC and certain known offenders in the plastic family, but there are other non-PVC options to achieve what you're talking about too. And also to re-clarify, this'll be for a vertical cylinder screen and not a flat plane screen. However, I *love* your SWC setup and think I'll be borrowing some ideas from that - simple, elegant, efficient. Just the way it should be.

THC43- HOLY CHRIST! That's a helluva field of dreams you got there, oh man... makes my eyes red and my fingers sticky just lookin' at it! Garden trellis is definitely a candidate for what I'm doing, if I can just find one with approx. 2"x2" mesh that's flexible enough to bend into a cylinder. R

McChris421 - I might take some flack from others for being paranoid or something (a stoner? Paranoid? NEVER!) and I don't want to scare you unnecessarily: again, we already use this shit all the time.

However, if you're going to smoke something and put it straight into your bloodstream, bypassing the liver... then maybe it's worth considering what exactly is in what you're smoking.

Just like with food - do you want the factory-farmed, megapesticide, chemically force-fed tomato - or - do you want the big, juicy, organic heirloom that your mom grew in the backyard with natural compost?
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Again, thanks to all who've posted up their ideas. Keep 'em coming if you have some - this can benefit everybody here. I promise to keep you posted with developments too.

 

[VerdantGreen]

i use plastic coated fencing mesh - i doubt it is toxic because it's made for outdoors, being in the sun etc. something quite rigid is best imo, although i do modular - check my diary i have details and pics on how i made my screens.

good luck

V.

 

[Megas]

Hey just a side question for you guys, but on average how many loops and in what direction do you run your branches through? Or do you stop looping them when it comes time to flower? I'm having trouble figuring this out in scrog guides.

 

[FreezerBoy]

Whatever gets you through the night. There's no hard and fast rules. I've kept everything under the screen but bud. I've grown with everything on top of the screen. The last one was mostly super cropped. Whatever seems best at the time. I will say I avoid weaving. If I'm not ready for the stem to go through the screen, I'll stick it back under the same hole it came through. Once it's above the screen it stays above and gets tied to the top if needed.

With fast Indicas you may only ScrOG the main stem until side shoots hit the screen. With 20 week Sativas, you'll be ScrOGing every stem every day. Some stop tying at the formation of buds. Some tie all the way to the end.