Using a ScrOG hoe much space do I need to give each plant as far as the canopy? Would 9sqft be enough or would I need to go with more if I’m going for a high yield? I know I can keep it in the veg state and keep them getting bigger but is there more or less a limit I need to keep them at? @Hogmaster
lol 3x3 is probly enough assuming you want to be able to reach whole screen and tend comfortably also depends on lighting
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You should really determine your scrog size by the amount of time you want to veg. A 3x3 can be done with 1 plant. Or it can be done with 4 in a much shorter veg time. The more plants you run the more difficult it will be to manage. And I agree with @Donaldj that you need to consider the capabilities of the light your using.
What would be better? A shorter veg time with more plants or longer with less? As far as yield? Being an experienced grower is it easier to keep up with more plants with a shorter veg time or focus more on each plant and have a longer veg time?
I grow purpetually meaning I have plants in all stages all the time using a 3 light rotation and mother space I harvest monthly by seperating flower into 2 spaces each 1 month appart. I veg a hydro unit 2 months and rotate mothers out every 2 months it takes work and practice to keep every area happy but I yield 6-8 oz every month. I am sure I could yield more but doing the math I get about the same as I would for single plant in foot print with longer veg and actually more based on 5 month timeline 
As an experienced grower I enjoy the work keeps me busy but for a newer grower less plants means less variables and better odds of success at less cost
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I think a common misconception is that you will yeild more based on having more plants. While that holds some truth outside, indoor is an entirely different story.
The amount of area you have full of plant and the amount of light you provide to that plant will dictate how much you yeild. Provided you maintain healthy plants that is. In fact, most seed breeders and/or banks will pretty much tell you this in their description. I don’t remember seeing any that estimate indoor yeild per plant, it’s always indoor yeild per cubic meter. So a full cubic meter of plant will potentially yeild between x amount and xx amount. Breeder estimations are typically inflated in some, but the idea is no different. And there are always reasonable limits that should be expected.
For example, I build a 500 watt led light and tell the grower that under reasonable expectations he should expect 1 gram per watt. If he puts that light in a 2’x2’ with any amount of plants he’s probably going to be disappointed. Just as he would trying to light a 10’x10’ room from a single 500 watt fixture. But now 500 watts spread evenly in a 4’x4’ under reasonable conditions could easily produce 1.5 grams per watt with the right strain.
The point is, that it’s impossible to say 1 plant or 2 plants will yeild any certain amount over any given area. I can confidently tell you that 1 plant veged for 8 weeks will yeild more than 1 plant veged for 4 weeks under the same conditions. I have no idea how easy or difficult your particular setup will be to run. But more plants in a scrog always equals more work. If you have 360 degree access to your plants will make it easier. If not, watering, pruning, and tucking behind a row of plants is giant pain for experienced growers too.
At the end of the day, a full screen is a full screen. And the amount of light and coverage you have will most likely dictate how much you yeild. There are to many factors to guess how much time it will save you vs the added work of additional plants. It would probably be in your best interest to try a run with one plant and keep good notes. Them try a run with a few plants and compare the results. You may prefer one way, while another member prefers something else.
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@Donaldj do you mind sharing what strain you’re doing so with, and how many plants per what size area?
I’m with you here, especially since you’re not growing from seed and don’t have to consider seeds a cost. You are probably just as successful doing what you’re doing as someone that decides to veg a single plant out for 2 or 3 months. You simply yeild less per harvest, but harvest more often. Seed cost not being of concern this is a really efficient way to grow. I’m sure your rooms are in tip top shape, but if you ever had a failure or any issue it wouldn’t threaten 3-6 months worth of work.
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Thanks for the input @Donaldj. @Dbrn I’m thinking the same way you are. The way I’m laying it out I will have 5 rows of 2 with a 1000w HPS lights over each row. Each row will also have its own 6" intake, fan, exhaust, and Filter. Each plant will have its ownIrrigation drip along with an Ez go fertigation ( to keep precise amounts every plant after I do all my trails on my control plants). I just now need to know about the size 1 plants canopy to use all the footprint of each light. Really just the size I need to make my ScrOG, for each row of 2, to where I’m utilizing my my space but also getting as much possible out of each plant in each row.(in relatively well conditions). Also all rows will be under a single insulated, air conditioned, humidified, reflective tent
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I would say to build your screen the size that appears to make sense. If you fill it to quickly, adjust on next grow. If it seems like it’s taking to long to fill, flip it when you’re ready
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Lol currently running 4 strains Purple Kush Blueberry 2 strains and Crown Royal just phased out Green Crack in each flower space I run a scrog roughly 50"x 30" 2 plants in 5gal smart pots promix HP-M in my second flowering space I have 4 plants in 27 gal DWC unit same size scrog 50"x 30"
size of screen is based solely on my lights 315w LEC’s
I run a space for vegging right between both flower spaces strictly hydroponics I start with 6-8 plants and keep best in unit after a few weeks I cull and start to train remaining 4 for 5-6 weeks before transfering to flower space
In my 4th space I keep 4 mothers under 4 21w t5’s this space also has a shelve above with a single 21w t5 fixture for cloning I rotate mothers out 2 at a time taking cuttings before they go of course this keeps me from overgrowing my mother space since it’s about 40"x 30" plants are also kept on diet as mothers fed on water water feed cycle until cuttings are started
Since I run different strains feeds vary with each as well as weeks
If you are really curious I will tag you into my thread 
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@Vaderslayer1993 if you are curious too search for Purpose Built Shed
I literally built my grow space from the ground up trying to implement every trick I have learned since I was a kid watching my dad grow
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Awesome thanks! My curiosity was really in how you handled the mothers and clones.
My understanding now is that you create a new mom from a clone of the old one? If this is true, do you feel that there is any limit to the number of times you can do this? I was always under the impression that it wasn’t a great practice to get into. But I’m not really sure where or how I came to that conclusion.
Have you tried controlling mother plant growth by reducing light any? Just wondering if maybe you couldn’t get more time out of them with a reduction in light.
A clone is the same age as it’s mother so by cloning I can flower as soon as they root my old practice was to keep 1 mother and simply flower out clones but the way I am growing with 4 strains each clone gets 2-4 months or more to grow at that point they are quite large and easily can afford to lose a few limbs keeping them small is combo of reduced lighting diet and pruning at 4 months they would be monsters if I didn’t take measures
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I see now. At first I thought you were doing nothing to control their growth, and were flowering them out because they were growing to fast.
The grower I am learning from uses similar method for perpetual but in soil. He usually has his clones into flower about 2 weeks after rooting. Sometimes more or less, based on rooting time or letting one of the flower rooms go a little longer. I’m weighing the effort vs need to eventually to be set up like this. It’s a lot of work, but truly amazing to watch you guys that do it well.
@Donaldj. I have been researching the led lights. How much space can a 1000w led really cover? To get the best out of it I mean? They are so small it’s hard to believe they can cover the space that the diagram says. 30" above the plant it covers 36 sq ft?
@Vaderslayer1993 you didn’t ask me, sorry of I’m butting in. But not all 1000 watt lights are created equally. The smaller the light typically the smaller the footprint. This can sometimes be misleading due to use of different lens or reflector, but it’s typically true. If you find it hard to believe, that a 24" x 24" of any wattage will cover a 5x5 you’re probably correct. It will probably throw light at a 5’ area, but would’ve lack intensity at the edges. A lot of the manufacturers are starting to offer par maps for their lights. Try to use this for reference. If you see a light claiming to cover a 5’x5’ without a par map, it may be the first sign to call it questionable.
If they’re not, it would be pretty deceptive of the manufacturer. If they offer you a par map, take it for what it is.
The most reliable would be a square that shows readings on each side and corner in reference to a distance from center measurement like this
A par map like the next one can be very misleading. It’s obviously a rectangle light, so taking par readings from the sides that are longest would be much higher than taking them from the sides of the light that are narrowest. The light may indeed have said par reading at 2 sides, but it will be much lower on the other 2 sides.
The 2nd light seems to be a popular one among this page, so let’s talk about its no. It shows par reading to one side, which I’m sure is taken along the length of the light. You see at 24" it no almost a 75% reduction in par at 2.5 ft out to the side. Then it shows another 50% reduction in par at center when measured at 30" height. So if they have 277 ųmols dead center at 30" height, you could expect at least a 75% reduction in at 2.5" to either strong side. So we’ll say at best maybe 70ųmols? Now if you consider measuring from the narrow sides of the light 2.5 feet out, it’s probably next to nothing.
So is the typical 1000w led from amazon good for a 5’x5’? I would say absolutely not. Doesn’t make it a bad light, you just have to understand what you’re getting. If you raise a light high enough, sure it will put out a 5’ footprint. But that doesn’t mean it will have the intensity to get anything done.