Newbie routine: jelqing necessary

I am just starting back into PE after a long hiatus from hanging, from which I saw a decent 0.5” gain at the time. I don’t have the time right now in my life to hang several hours/day, but I’d like to at least try some manual stretching. My question is, if I am interested in mainly length gains right now, is jelqing necessary as part of my routine, or can I focus more on stretching for length? Is jelqing more more girth, in which case does it make sense to focus on stretching for length now and then switch to girth work once I’ve achieved length gains?

2-inch Growth Comparative Pictures

I don’t think jelqing is absolutely necessary, but after stretching for a while, i think some light jelqs can aid recovery. I do them because it seems I feel as if I’ve had a better workout when my stretches are followed by a few jelqs.