Sea-Of-Green cultivation methods are probably among the most productive ways to achieve fast and outstanding results. SOG cultivation (not to be confused with SCROG) takes advantage of the principle that individual plants can be very productive in a controlled and optimised environment, even with limited space. This method of growing is particularly suitable for the cultivation of many cannabis strains. S.O.G. cultivation gets its name from the fact that plants are grown and harvested in a relatively high plant density. The plants usually remain rather short, are largely identical in stature and stand very close to each other, giving the impression of a sea of green.
The Sea-Of-Green method was developed in the mid-1980s and originated in Holland as a commercial cultivation method that aimed to bring crops to maturity as quickly and easily as possible. The idea behind it is simple: plant more smaller plants in a shorter time for bigger yields. The individual plants are only about 45-50 cm tall and form a large head bud similar to a "bud on a stick". They grow straight up with little or no side branches.
For SOG, one should choose cannabis strains that are suitable for this type of cultivation. In general, it is advisable to choose pure Indicas or Indica dominant strain.
With this method and the appropriate timing, regular and continuous harvests can be achieved. With a little planning, growing a Sea of Green is not that difficult. The Sea-Of-Green growing method is a special high-conductivity technique for indoor cannabis cultivation that shortens the time to harvest.
Growing in a SOG brings some advantages to the grower:
Yields per watt are usually very high because the available space is perfectly utilised. Every square centimetre under an intensive plant lamp (Sodium vapour lamp or powerful LED) is then packed with buds. No valuable space is wasted and the light can reach all parts of the plant very well. The plants are quickly ready for harvest in SOG cultivation and very little time is needed for the vegetative phase. For the Sea-Of-Green method, cuttings from the same mother are usually used (i.e. genetically identical clones), as this makes it possible to produce a homogeneous "plant carpet", with all plants reaching the same height and stature.
After the cuttings have rooted, they are each placed in approx. 4L pots (or 8-12cm rockwool blocks). In just a few days of the growing phase, they get used to their environment and gain strength. Because the plants are so dense, they will quickly fill the space and you don't have to wait long for sufficient branching to form. When a green carpet has formed, flowering can already be initiated.
Because the plants finish faster with this growing method, diseases and pests have less time and opportunity to spread and gain a foothold. Harvesting and trimming is much easier because each plant is simply a super-bud.
Yields can be doubled with the SOG cultivation method if all factors are optimised.
Sea of Green in practice: step-by-step to a sea of flowers
Step 1: Find mother plant
First, a suitable mother plant must be selected and cultivated, or several. You start with seeds. It can easily take 4-6 months to grow a suitable mother from seed that has a certain size. In our article Selecting the mother plant you can read more about this process. The mother plant(s) should be large and strong enough so that you can take a maximum number of cuttings at one time. As many as are needed to fill your available space. The plants will later stand pot to pot, or rockwool block to rockwool block, in the SOG cultivation, leaving little or no space in between. As a rough guide, there are about 40-70 plants per m². This can be varied according to preference, personal experience, existing environment and variety.
The cuttings have the genetic age of their mother, which means they start flowering immediately during the 12-hour exposure in the SOG environment and do not have to become sexually mature first like young plants grown from seed.
An example of a grow rhythm in SOG cultivation:
First, enough cuttings are produced to fill half or a quarter of the available "flowering area". These cuttings are dated. About 14-21 days later, more cuttings are taken, dated and added, and after another 14-21 days more cuttings are added, etc. until the entire flowering area is filled.
The Fim or fimming technique is a very good method to keep mother plants small and at the same time get a high number of cuttings.
Step 2: the cuttings
Now you have to decide how many plants should flower at the same time. Example: You can grow a maximum of 12 plants. You start taking 3-4 cuttings, then wait 3-4 weeks, then take 3-4 cuttings again, while the first cuttings are placed in the flowering chamber. Again wait 3-4 weeks and take 3-4 new cuttings. etc. This is how the cycle begins and goes on and on.... You can find more about cutting cut tings here.
As soon as the cuttings have rooted sufficiently, they can be placed in the flowering room. Rooting takes about a week depending on the variety. With some cannabis varieties it can take up to 2 weeks. During this time, the cuttings are placed 18 hours per day under a grow light e.g. Plant energy-saving lamp or Neon tubes or . The cuttings should remain under the 18-hour lighting until they have formed a sufficiently strong root system for their further development, without growing any larger than absolutely necessary. At this point, close observation of the plants is important and with time one gains experience when the right time has come to move them into the flowering room.
An extra grow room or grow tent is needed for raising the cuttings and mother (mothers). The production of cuttings is an important basis for the SOG method. If you achieve a cutting survival rate of over 90% on a regular basis, you can be very happy with a Sea-of-Green.
Step 3: the flowering room
The flowering space is the space with a 12/12 exposure, clearly. The smaller plants should be in the middle of the illuminated area and the larger ones at the outer edges. Ideally, however, all plants should be the same height. The plant pots are placed/stuffed together without wide gaps or relatively close together and then later covered by a canopy. The plant pots should be deep rather than wide (approx. 4 L).
The hydroponic systems such as ebb and flow systems from GHE (General Hydroponics) or Nutriculture are also suitable for the SOG method. With these, this enormously powerful and commercial form of cultivation can be brought to perfection.
Helpful tips for SOG growers
- Avoid hot spots at the tips of the plants. Therefore, it is best to hang the plant light a little higher than normal to prevent burns.
- Use fertiliser in moderation, especially nitrogen. Too much fertiliser can cause the plants to become too bushy, which tends to reduce the yield.
- Avoid over-watering, also to control plant height.
- The flowering space should have good ventilation and airflow over the tops of the plants ensures the exchange of gases in the dense canopy of flowers and foliage.
- The right choice of variety(ies) has a lot to do with the later result. Typical SOG plants end up being 22cm to a maximum of 60cm tall.
