Sea of Green (SOG): Many small plants for quick harvests

Sea of Green (SOG) is one of the most efficient cultivation methods for fast, frequent harvests:

SOG basic principle:

Concept:

• Many small plants instead of a few large ones
• Short vegetative phase (2-4 weeks)
• Early flowering cycle
• High plant density
• Fast harvest cycles

• Harvest every 8-10 weeks
• Less training required
• Consistent canopy height
• Efficient light utilisation
• Risk distribution

• More plants = more seeds/clones
• Higher initial costs
• More pots and space
• More complex irrigation
• Legal aspects (number of plants)

Standard densities:

• 16-25 plants per m² (small pots 6-11L)
• 9-16 plants per m² (medium pots 11-15L)
• 4-9 plants per m² (large pots 15-19L)
• Depending on variety and vegi time

• 6-8L: Very fast harvests, minimal vegi
• 8-11L: Standard SOG, good balance
• 11-15L: Larger SOG plants
• Over 15L: No longer true SOG

• 1m² = 100cm × 100cm
• 16 plants = 25cm × 25cm grid
• 25 plants = 20cm × 20cm grid
• Enough space for air circulation

Week 1-2 (germination/rooting):

• Germinate seeds or root clones
• Low light (200-300 PPFD)
• High humidity (70-80%)
• Careful watering
• 18/6 or 20/4 light cycle

• Minimal training (LST only)
• Medium light (400-500 PPFD)
• First light fertilisation
• Humidity 60-70%
• At 20-30cm height in flower

• 12/12 Light cycle
• Full light (600-1000 PPFD)
• Flowering fertiliser programme
• Humidity 40-50%
• Minimal further interventions

Ideal for SOG:

• Indica-dominant varieties
• Uniform growth
• Minimal stretch
• Uniform flowering time
• Compact structure

• Northern Lights: Very uniform
• Critical Mass: Heavy flowers
• White Widow: Proven for SOG
• Afghan Kush: Compact and dense
• Skunk #1: Uniform growth

• Sativa-dominant strains (too much stretch)
• Strains that grow unevenly
• Very training-intensive genetics
• Slow flowering strains

Clone advantages:

• Identical genetics
• Uniform size and timing
• No gender risk
• Predictable results
• Optimal for SOG

• Own mother plants
• Local grower community
• Commercial suppliers
• Check quality and health

• Feminised seeds only
• Same strain from the same breeder
• More variation in size/timing
• Higher initial cost
• Backup plan for failures

Lighting:

• Even light distribution important
• Several smaller LEDs better than one large one
• PPFD mapping for uniformity
• No hot spots or dark areas

• Automatic systems recommended
• Drip system or flood & drain
• Consistent humidity important
• Drainage for all pots